The Great War of the Clans
by Toadychan
Summary: KaixRei, AU — Rei was already overwhelmed with his position as Leader of the White Tiger clan, but things only get worse when he's kidnapped by the Phoenix clan and the threat of war hangs over them for the first time in 30 years.  Full summary inside.
1. Prologue: The Beginning

**Title:** The Great War of the Clans  
><strong>Rating:<strong> T  
><strong>Genre: <strong>Romance/Action/Adventure  
><strong>Series:<strong> Bakuten Shoot Beyblade  
><strong>Pairing(s):<strong> Kai x Rei  
><strong>Summary:<strong> It's election time for the clans and Rei is overwhelmed with his new position as Leader. Just when things seem like they're starting to fall into place he's kidnapped and the old war with the Phoenix clan flares up for the first time in over 30 years. Is there anything Rei can do to convince the Phoenix Leader their tribes don't have to be enemies?  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I don't own anything except the writing itself and any unrecognizable people, places, characters (Xia, the Elders, et al.), etc., none of which are to be reused or reposted without my explicit permission.  
><strong>NotesWarnings:** Homosexual relationships, Alternate Universe, minor language, violence.  
><strong>Status:<strong> Incomplete

**Author Note:** This story has gone through a lot. I can't even remember what year I first posted it, but I rewrote it (well, what I had of it) in 2006 and then never touched it again. Here I am in July 2011, and I've decided to work on this sucker for Camp NaNoWriMo this month. :) My writing has improved and so has my work ethic, so hopefully this will move along a lot more smoothly than my fics used to. I have deleted the previous version of this story that I had posted just to make this even more of a fresh start for myself.

My word goal for this month is 25k, or the end of this fic! Whichever comes first. :P I'll be trying to post these chapters weekly, but we'll see how things go. Wish me luck, and I hope you enjoy!

(If there's any poor wording or repetitive language or typos, feel free to let me know. I haven't got a beta or anything like that, and I was lazy rereading. :x )

* * *

><p><span>The Great War of the Clans<span>  
><em>Prologue<em>  
>The Beginning<p>

_Hello. What brings you here? Are you a traveller, out to see what there is to be seen? Or have you lost your way? I met someone who lost his way a long time ago, and I'm glad for it, just like I'm glad you're here. My life would have been so much different if he hadn't gotten lost when he did, and so would the lives of everyone I know. That might seem like a tall claim, but I assure you it is true. I could tell you the story, though I have to warn you it is a long tale, and not an entirely happy one. Nonetheless, I would enjoy recounting it for you if you would like to listen. Let me begin with the little lost boy who started it all. But before we go that far, you need to know a little of my history._

_I lived in a small village in the heart of China, where I grew up. My life as well as myself were average, for the most part: I had chores, friends, and a family, like a lot of others, though my family wasn't exactly my own; at least, not by blood. The parents that I was born to were killed by tigers in a hunting accident when I was only three years old—too young to remember, so I can't see their faces in my mind. It still makes me sad, but saying that seems like I had a difficult life. I didn't; not until I was older. You see, my best friend's family readily adopted me, only having one other child of their own, and since we were already like brothers from birth it was an easy transition._

_My daily life was normal for the time. I was a good boy for my adoptive parents, I respected the Elders and the adults, I did my chores, and I played with my friends. The time things really started to change was when my small group of friends and myself turned ten years old._

_We knew from a young age, just like the rest of the tribe, to be cautious of strangers, and we also knew about the Great War, but it wasn't until the day my adopted grandfather gathered us all together that we were taught everything. I can still remember his voice clearly, soft and tremulous like a feather in the breeze, teaching us about the history of our clan: the White Tigers. He spent nearly the entire day telling us those stories, particularly about the Great War of the Clans. Being as old as he was, he had both witnessed and taken part in the war that technically hadn't yet ceased, and his memory was vivid. I remember my adopted mother overhearing some of the more gruesome details and chastising Grandfather for it, but we hung on to every word, morbidly fascinated. Of course, we couldn't truly imagine the things he was telling us; it was too barbaric, too foreign. Too detached from our safe reality. The one thing we didn't have problems imagining was the Phoenix clan, even if our thoughts depicted them comically as ugly, clumsy birds with jagged teeth._

_I never truly understood the hostility the Phoenix clan harboured toward our tribe. The only conclusion I could come to was that perhaps it was simply in our nature, being of the "species" we both were; felines and avians are natural enemies, after all. It's odd that the avians were the ones to make the first strike, though, as the White Tiger stories say. Perhaps they thought themselves making a pre-emptive strike. Whatever the reason, the Great War of the Clans took place, leaving both sides devastated. There never was a definitive winner or loser, nor even an official end to the war, but suddenly everything came to a standstill while both sides waited for the other to make the next move. We were left in peace once again, however temporary it may be._

_Mine and my friends' parents had been born during the last few years of the war, but they were able to live most of their lives in peace after it halted. They eventually had their own young ones, in a time truly without war. It was relaxing, and peaceful; safe. We hadn't experienced all of the difficulties our grandparents had to face or witnessed the same hardships. It was impossible for us to imagine war, especially at that age. Even so, unbeknownst to us at the time, the years we spent growing up were the same years the Phoenix clan spent planning and training in order to end the abeyance once and for all, intending to finally claim the White Tiger territory for their own._

_As I've said, we already knew to be cautious of strangers, but that day my grandfather reminded us again very sternly. If we came across a person we didn't know that also did not possess the physical characteristics that made the White Tiger people unique, we were to run to the closest safety we could find and then tell the Elders what we saw as soon as possible. It was particularly important if the stranger had red-tinged eyes, and especially if they had red triangles painted on their face.¹ Those were markings of a Phoenix._

_Even having a Phoenix described to us, the childish images in our heads only morphed so much as to apply paint to the faces of our distorted monster-birds. Being unable to picture an actual human being in place of those imagined creatures coupled with my own curious nature and need to help was what led to my encounter with the lost boy._

_Now that you know enough, let me begin the real story, starting with the meeting that set both of our fates in motion and changed both of our lives forever..._

_**.x.**_

It was a hot afternoon, the sun's heat burning through the tree tops and making the ground warm to the touch. The young boy paid it no mind, his face alight with a smile as he ran, his long black hair streaming behind him. His gold-coloured eyes were wide with delight, taking in the new scenery around him, his mouth open to taste it. The others would catch up with him soon, but for now, in those few seconds, he was alone, the first and only explorer to see this place. None of them had been out this far, and in truth none of them should be now, but it was too tempting, too exciting, too much of a rush to ignore. His senses were flooded with everything brand new and he didn't want to ever go back.

"Wait up, Rei!"

In the second he heard the voice he was tempted to speed up and leave everyone else behind for good. He wanted to get lost here, claim it for his own, be the only one to know where this magical place was. Instead, he came to a stop. He waited for his friends to catch up, staring expectantly over his shoulder. They came into sight a few moments later, scrambling to catch up, one much further behind than the other.

Lai reached his side first and immediately bent double, his grey-black hair tousled from his run, trying to catch his breath. Rei grinned at him and Lai promptly gave him a weak punch to the side, which made him start laughing. He suddenly didn't know what he was thinking before. Why would he want to keep this place from his very best friend? Things were always better when they were shared.

"We shouldn't be this far away from the village!"

Lai straightened up and looked back at their straggling friend. "Stop worrying so much, Mao. We're just doing a little exploring."

"Yeah," Rei agreed. "Maybe no one's ever been here before. Imagine that! We could be the first ones to discover this place."

Mao finally reached their side, some of her pink hair obstructing her eyes, panting from exertion. She quickly brushed it aside and her face contorted with anger as it always did just before she reprimanded them. "Don't be stupid. We're not _that_ far out. I'm sure hundreds of people have been here before. For all we know, this could be one of the battlegrounds from the Great War!" She suddenly cringed and took a step back, raising her feet high off the ground, imagining blood and corpses under her.

It wasn't that long ago that Lai's grandfather had given them their history lesson on the Great War, and ever since it had been on all of their minds, though it seemed to plague Mao's the most. She brought up the same thing frequently, worrying about standing on places where people had been killed. The thought started to infect the rest of them and Rei hoped to escape that in their newly discovered area, but it became tainted within minutes of their arrival. He wished it could have stayed a forbidden, beautiful haven in the middle of the forest.

"Who cares?" Lai huffed, shaking his dark, shaggy hair out of his eyes. "Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't. I just want to have fun and forget about that stupid stuff."

Mao glared at him. "Well, excuse me for trying to look out for you two!"

"Look out for us?" Lai laughed. "Where's the danger? Do you think there's some kind of ancient disease in the ground or something from all the dead bodies? Mao, do you realize how long twenty years is?"

Mao was definitely angry. Rei watched hesitantly, expecting her eyes to fill up with tears as they often did when she was made upset enough. She seemed to be holding back for now, but Rei didn't know how much longer she would last. Her arms crossed in front of her defensively.

"You're such a stupid boy," she said heatedly. "We're really far away from the village. There's all kinds of danger. We're not supposed to go this far out for a lot of reasons, and you know it!"

"Then go on back to the village, Mao," Rei said gently, moving to stand between the two of them. "I want to explore. Even if we shouldn't be out here, we'll be careful. It doesn't look dangerous. Me and Lai will be okay."

Rei didn't expect the sharp look she gave him, or the sudden anger she shot in his direction. "What do you know? You're a stupid boy, too! I can't go back without you! I could get in trouble, and you could get yourselves killed."

"Ooh, that's right. Mao's so strong! She'll protect us," Lai said sarcastically, then stuck his tongue out at her. "I'm better at martial arts than you!"

Rei raised his eyebrows seriously. "He's better at martial arts than _me_."

Lai crossed his arms in an attempt to prove his machismo, beaming under Rei's praise.

Rei started to laugh at him but stopped abruptly when he realized Mao was starting to lose the battle she was having with herself. Her eyes grew watery in the sunlight filtering through the trees and he started to panic. It was always next to impossible to stop her crying once she started.

Just in time they suddenly heard a voice in the distance, startling Mao out of her tears. They all felt the first flickers of fear until the person called again, less distorted this time, and they realized who it was.

_"Cubs! Cubs, where are you?"_

"Xia's looking for us," Mao stated, even though it was obvious to all of them by then.

"She always ruins our fun," Lai said grumpily, looking longingly at the expansive clearing they hadn't had enough time in.

"She does not!" Mao bristled, always quick to defend Xia. "She stops us from getting hurt!"

"There's not really much that could hurt us," Rei thought aloud.

Mao fixed him with a piercing look. "I bet your parents didn't think that."

For a split second Rei was confused; his parents weren't hurt. Were they? Then he remembered they weren't his _real_ parents. Not by blood. His birth parents had been killed by wild animals. A tight feeling suddenly gripped his chest and made it hard to breathe. It hurt and he didn't like it. Why would Mao say something like that?

Lai sprang toward Mao and she leaped back, tripping and almost losing her balance. "That was mean!" he hissed, the pupils of his tawny eyes contracted to vertical slits out of anger. Mao's own golden eyes slit in response as she tensed her body and they became two circling tigers, the threat of a fight heavy over them both.

"Stop it!" Rei growled at them, angry and worried at the same time.

Mao straightened up and dusted herself off in a show of contempt, refusing to meet Lai's or Rei's eyes. "I'm going back before you get me into trouble," she sniffed haughtily, as if they had personally offended her, and sprinted back the way they'd come.

Lai and Rei exchanged a look, and Lai shook his head. "Forget what she said. She's just angry because she didn't want to be out here."

"We didn't make her come with us," Rei mumbled, more hurt than angry.

"Let's just go back. We can spend the rest of the day at the lake," Lai encouraged. Rei nodded slightly and they began to head back.

Rei stopped and turned back for a moment while Lai went on ahead, unaware that his brother was no longer following. His bright, honey eyes scanned the clearing one more time, longing to explore the unexplored. He looked long and hard, trying to take in every detail and remember it exactly as he was seeing it now. If he was ever going to come back here, and he was determined to try, he had to remember how to get there and how to know it was the same place. Everywhere he looked it seemed quiet and peaceful and still. Just like before, in those few seconds he was completely alone with the beauty in front of him.

Or so he thought.

The bushes directly across from him began to rustle. He tensed and held his breath, suddenly acutely aware of the fact that he was out in the open with very little cover nearby. It was impossible to tell whether he was potentially facing human or animal, and even though his body screamed to run he couldn't get himself to decide whether to listen to it or hide.

The rustling intensified and what Rei thought might be someone's head poked partially out from amongst the green. There was a sudden yelp and it disappeared beneath the foliage again. Imagining someone lost and injured, possibly even someone from his own clan, pushed all of the warnings Rei had been given about strangers out of his mind and he raced across the clearing.

When he reached the other side a few seconds later he discovered it was indeed a person. A boy not much older than himself was crouched awkwardly on the ground examining his leg. His clothes were tattered and torn and slightly bloodied in places. Rei couldn't see his face, but he could see that he had strange blue hair that was dark in the back and pale in the front.

"Are you okay?" Rei asked hesitantly, voice small.

The other boy's head snapped up so fast Rei was startled backward. The stranger got to his feet as quickly as he could with an obviously bad leg, preparing for a fight. At first the only thing Rei noticed was the boy's strange clothing and the way the front of his hair fell into his eyes, but then he flicked his head to clear his sight and Rei got an unobstructed view of his face. His stomach fell with fear as Grandfather's warnings came back to him with full force.

The boy's eyes were a startling shade of dark crimson, almost like a blood-red sunset, and he had two red triangles painted on each cheek that slanted toward the middle of his face.

He was a Phoenix.

Rei's eyes widened and he gasped. The strange boy mirrored his actions, both of them suddenly more shocked than afraid. There they were in front of each other, a Phoenix and a White Tiger, decided enemies from birth, harshly shattering the silly images each had of the other full of fangs and distorted animal features. Both of them were real people—boys nearly the same age. Rei couldn't help imagining an army identical to this youngling fighting against his own people, and he wondered if he was going to be attacked. He knew he should go back to the village but he couldn't get himself to give his body that command when there was an injured person right in front of him. Abandoning someone in need wasn't something he was taught to do, friend or foe.

"Who are you?" the Phoenix boy asked suddenly in a loud voice, trying to make himself seem more intimidating. He looked somewhat proud of himself when Rei jumped at the sound.

"My name's Rei," the long-haired boy responded automatically. "Who are you?"

It was quiet for a moment and Rei wondered if the boy was even going to speak, but then he said softly, "... Kai."

"You're from the Phoenix clan, aren't you?" Rei asked warily, half-hoping his assumption was wrong.

"So what if I am? You're from the White Tiger clan!" Kai shouted back heatedly, back to being loud.

"So what if I am?" Rei repeated cheekily, although he was unnerved by Kai's aggression.

The Phoenix narrowed his eyes in response and the two stared at each other for a long moment, assessing the danger and trying to choose the best course of action. Before either could do or say anything more, Kai suddenly let out a cry of pain and fell back to the forest floor. Rei's fear was automatically replaced with concern and he rushed to the blue-haired stranger's side without a second thought.

"Are you okay?" he said quickly. "Let me have a look."

"Get away from me!" Kai shoved at the black-haired boy but he was in too much pain.

"I'm not gonna hurt you! I just wanna help," Rei complained, ducking to avoid Kai's flailing arm.

"I don't trust you!"

"Ugh, will you stop that?" Rei growled, managing to restrain both of Kai's wrists after a bit of a struggle. Kai locked eyes with him and in less than a second his expression changed from anger to complete shock. He was frozen in place and Rei decided to be grateful for the cooperation, however unintentional it may be. The Tiger cub realized his pupils must have slit in his anger and then found himself wondering if Kai's eyes were different from his, considering his reaction to them.

Rei relaxed his grip when it seemed like Kai wasn't going to struggle anymore and the boy immediately snatched his hands back. Cautiously and slowly, Rei tried again, getting only as close as he needed to in order to inspect the bluenet's injuries. He had many obvious cuts and scrapes, some shallow, some a little deeper, some even still bleeding, but none of them seemed too dangerous or life-threatening. The worst damage Rei could find was what seemed to be a twisted ankle. Without a second thought, he removed the boy's worn shoe and then unravelled the white cloth he had tied around his forearms in order to wrap it around the foot and swollen ankle. He tied it off securely and then sat back, inspecting his handiwork.

Kai scowled at him from behind his long bangs. "What did you do that for?"

"To make it better," Rei said with raised eyebrows, stating the obvious.

"I'm fine," the red-eyed boy mumbled, turning his head away but making no move to flee.

It grew quiet. Rei couldn't help wondering, as he studied Kai out of the corner of his eye, if he had been told the same things about the White Tiger clan that Rei had been told about the Phoenix clan. The more he thought about it, the more Rei was confused. For a moment he actually believed he was mistaken in thinking the boy was a Phoenix, but then he remembered that Kai had admitted it himself. None of the things in his head matched up, and if he was being honest, he didn't want the person in front of him to be his enemy. He fascinated Rei. No one like him had ever visited their tribe before and he wanted to learn about the things that made their people different. Rei wasn't getting answers just from thinking, and he really hated silences.

"So... How old are you?" he asked conversationally.

Kai looked at him with surprise and answered before he could think. "Twelve."

"Hey, you're two years older than me!" Rei said with a grin. He noticed Kai's eyes flicker down to his mouth and he supposed Phoenixes didn't have such sharp canine teeth, either. The grin faded.

"... Are you really a White Tiger?" Kai asked quietly.

Rei made a confused face. "Yes. Are you really a Phoenix?"

Kai nodded, then added, "You're not acting how my grandfather said you would. Have you not started training or something?" He didn't know why he was saying so much to a stranger—and his sworn enemy, at that—but he had to know. Something about the black-haired cub was fascinating to him.

"I started training a few years ago," Rei said indignantly, "and I'm really good, too! Well, not as good as Lai... But my martial arts are still good! The teacher praises me." He looked proud of himself, then seemed to deflate when he realized the other half of what Kai had said. "You don't act how my grandfather said you would, either."

"_Rei!_"

Rei immediately jumped to his feet, his heart pounding, and Kai attempted to do the same. He ended up falling back to the ground after another shock of pain from his ankle.

"Careful," Rei whispered to the older boy, then cautiously peered through the brush concealing them. He already knew from the voice that it was Xia, but he was scared of being found with a stranger—and a Phoenix, at that. It would make him feel terrible if Kai was captured and brought to their camp because of him. Xia came into the clearing and Rei tried desperately to use the scant seconds he had to weigh his options and decide what to do.

"Who is it?" Kai whispered harshly, scared but trying to cover it up with anger.

"It's Xia," Rei answered distractedly.

"Who's _that_?" he demanded, deciding he was unable to pronounce the word Rei had just used.

"She takes care of the cubs when our parents are busy."

There were only a few seconds left to decide. Rei watched Xia enter the clearing and begin looking around herself. She didn't know exactly where Rei would be but she would find him eventually, and if he was trying to hide from her when she did then things were going to get even more difficult. Rei decided the best thing to do was trust Xia. He had to believe she would listen to him.

Rei began climbing through the bushes but was halted by a hand gripping his ankle. He looked back with surprise.

"Where are you going?" Kai asked in a panic, his eyes wide.

"To get Xia," Rei replied, looking confused. "It's gonna be okay. She'll help." He hoped.

"No! No more Tigers!"

"Rei?" Xia said again, this time a soft question. She had seen the bushes rustling and maybe even heard hushed conversation. Rei looked again and saw her heading toward them.

"Too late now," he mumbled and tried to pry Kai's grip off of his ankle. The boy wouldn't let go and in the struggle Rei ended up falling through the foliage and halfway to the other side, the top of his head pushed through the leaves. As he expected, Xia saw him.

"Rei, what are you doing?" she asked, caught between amusement and concern. Her pace quickened and she reached Rei in a few strides. The boy looked up at her from his upside down position on the ground and offered a self-conscious half-smile, one of his canines sticking out. Xia laughed. "I know you don't want to go back, but we really have to."

"Uh, Xia? Before that, there's something..." he trailed off and wiggled a bit, trying to get Kai to let go of his foot without exposing him to Xia just yet. Finally he let go, and Rei toppled out of the bushes. Xia chuckled and helped him to his feet, where he attempted to shake the leaves out of his hair before continuing. "Um, there's something I need to tell you."

"Go on," Xia prompted as she pulled a leaf out of the small boy's hair.

"Well, there's... There's a boy in there," Rei gestured. Xia froze and her eyebrows rose up as she looked toward the brush. "He's hurt. And I think he's lost," he said in a small voice, trying to look uncertain and bashful since that always seemed to get the adults on his side.

"What tribe?" Xia asked seriously. That was the first question anyone asked—or should ask—about a stranger.

"I—I dunno," Rei stuttered, deciding belatedly to play dumb. He didn't know how far it was going to get him, though.

Xia's golden gaze scrutinized him for a moment and Rei ducked his head, fairly certain she had seen through his bluff. After a moment she stepped a bit closer to the bushes and carefully tucked her chin-length brown hair behind her ears. Rei, thankful she had stopped staring at him, went ahead and climbed back through the leaves, worried Kai had somehow fled.

Kai was still there when Rei tumbled back through to his side, and he tried to smile comfortingly at the hurt little boy but as soon as he saw Xia he gasped and tried to back himself into a tree trunk. Xia gave a similar gasp as she took in his face.

"Rei, he's a _Phoenix_," she whispered harshly. "Get back over to this side!"

Rei began to panic. He was worried about Kai, and no matter what he had been told by his elders Kai hadn't been openly aggressive towards him, and he was raised to believe that there was never a reason not to help someone in need.

"But Kai's not mean," Rei pleaded with Xia. "Well, he's a bit rude—but he didn't hurt me!" he added quickly. Xia looked disbelieving and Kai looked like a trapped animal, weakly trying to scrabble to his feet. Rei moved between them like he had moved between Lai and Mao earlier, hoping to instigate peace.

"What are you thinking, Rei? He's still a Phoenix. Didn't you listen to the Elders' warnings at all?" Xia chastised.

Rei tried his best to stay strong where he stood, simply staring back at Xia. She could see the firm determination in his eyes. "I always listen," he said quietly.

Xia shook her head. "You're too friendly for your own good." Her tone wasn't angry, but it wasn't kind, either. A second after she said the words her expression softened and she looked back at the black-haired boy. "No, I'm wrong. You're great the way you are."

Rei smiled widely at the praise, and because he was certain she was going to help him with Kai. Just as he expected, Xia made her way to their side of the shrubs to examine Kai's wounds for herself. The cub stepped aside as she reached them, anticipating her next course of action. Kai looked like he was almost about to pass out from fright so Xia kept as much distance as she could for the moment.

"Take it easy. I'm not going to hurt you," she said soothingly. "Rei, what's this for?"

Noticing she was gesturing to the wrapping around Kai's swollen ankle, Rei answered, "I'm pretty sure he twisted it. It doesn't seem too bad, but I thought it would be best."

Xia smiled at him. "Good work."

Rei flushed, looking pleased with himself. He had been studying medicine with Xia for the last few months after he hurt himself falling out of a tree and she took care of him while the village doctor was away. Once he discovered how extensive her knowledge was he had asked her to teach him, with the explanation that he liked helping people. She couldn't turn him down.

"Could you hurry back to the village and bring me back a bag of medical supplies? Try to be discreet, or not seen at all, if possible."

"I can do that!" Rei answered with enthusiasm. Just before he left, he quickly turned to Kai. "It's okay. Xia won't hurt you. I'll be back really soon, too!"

Kai watched with awe as the boy ran off immediately and was out of his sight within seconds. At least one thing his grandfather had told him was true: White Tigers were _fast_. Kai had been forced to study all of their distinguishing features as well as their strengths and weaknesses in order to get the upper hand in battle, and the majority of his training involved building strength because, according to his grandfather and his studies, it was impossible to outrun a Tiger; they had to be overpowered.

The strange girl suddenly moved a little closer and Kai's attention snapped back to her. He automatically pulled his leg in closer to himself as she tried to reach for it, which made her shoulders slump and her mouth frown. She looked at his face with a raised eyebrow, nearly on the same level since she had squatted to the ground, carefully tucking her tan-coloured dress under herself. Kai wondered at how similarly startling her eyes were to Rei's and for a second he tried to imagine them slit in anger as Rei's had momentarily been. She seemed young, although she was definitely an adult. The only thing that really stood out about her was the large number of multi-coloured bracelets made of all different kinds of beads on her wrists and partway up her arms. Kai made a strange face and pushed himself back slightly as the girl tucked her hair behind her ears again and he realized they were pointed at the tips. He hadn't noticed if Rei's were like that because the top of his hair was a mess.

It was one thing to read about and imagine the unique physical characteristics of the White Tigers, and an entirely different thing altogether to see it in person. To be honest, Kai was terrified by the strangeness.

Xia reached for one of Kai's arms this time and he flinched, jerking his arm away before her hand even got near it. His eyes narrowed when she sighed.

"Let me see your arm," she said politely, trying another tactic.

"Why?" Kai demanded. He had let that boy tend to him already.

"I would like to look at your cuts. Some could be infected," Xia explained gently.

"I don't trust you."

"You seemed alright with Rei," the brunette countered, lazily resting her chin on her hand.

Kai hesitated, searching for a response. None were explanation enough, but he tried anyway. "He already looked them over. I'm fine."

"Rei called you Kai, right? Well, Kai, I don't know how much you know about medicine, but open wounds can get infected if they're not treated and covered up properly." Xia explained this gently, not trying to make the boy feel unintelligent. He didn't respond, and after several long moments of silence she figured he wasn't going to at all. She sighed softly. "So, you really are a Phoenix child, aren't you? Other tribes usually aren't so distrustful of us. Plus, there's your paint, and your eyes..." she trailed off. "Where are your parents? I don't see how you could get this far on your own."

"My business is my own."

Xia flicked back a piece of hair that had fallen out from behind her ear and said casually, "So you're lost, then?"

Kai glared hard at her and Xia couldn't help chuckling.

Another silent moment, then, "Going to give me your arm yet?" Kai continued staring angrily. Xia frowned and her eyes became sad. "What have they been telling you about us?" she wondered aloud, not really asking the blue-haired boy. "We've always been a very peaceful tribe, and we get along with so many other clans. It's only the Phoenix clan that started painting us as monsters."

Kai looked about to respond but was startled out of speaking as Rei emerged back through the growth, a cloth bag under one arm.

"Got it!" he announced, looking proud of himself. Xia accepted it from him with a smile and told him he had done well.

Kai found himself fixated on Rei as soon as he returned and it was hard to look away. Xia and her White Tiger features scared him; she was so much older than him and it made her unusual features intimidating, but it also made her features more pronounced, somehow. Seeing Rei compared to Xia, Kai suddenly noticed all of the characteristics on him more easily. They were less scary on him, probably because Rei was so friendly toward him and he was also closer to his age.

Rei noticed him staring and grinned at him. He gestured to the bag and said, "The salve might sting a bit, but it'll fix you up really quick!"

Kai was hesitant but allowed the two of them to set to work on his injuries, although he didn't really know why. It was admittedly somewhat nice to have people that seemed to genuinely care about his well-being—even if they were supposed to be bad people. But for all he knew, they were just using it as a cover up to study him and his weaknesses closer.

Once they had finished up with his cuts, Xia spent a few minutes untying the bandage around Kai's ankle, examining it for herself, and then giving Rei some advice as she re-tied it. He listened with rapt fascination and Kai continued to stare at them both.

"It's getting very late," Xia commented after tying Kai's bandage, looking up at the sky.

Kai jumped with surprise and quickly looked up, then toward the west. Panicking, he forced himself to his feet. His grandfather told him he had to be back before sunset or there would be trouble. Now he needed to return before then and hope to be alone just long enough to pretend he'd tended to his own injuries.

Rei tried to stop him as he started limping away in a hurry, but he couldn't think of what to say and Kai didn't look like he was going to stop anyway. He stepped back beside Xia, his eyes on the Phoenix boy's retreating form until he was out of sight. Without so much as a "thank you" or "goodbye," Kai was gone.

Rei didn't feel the sad look on his face until Xia reached over to squeeze his hand.

_**.x.**_

_I had trouble sleeping for weeks after that encounter. That Phoenix boy haunted my dreams. Even when I was awake I was constantly in thought about him, wondering if he had made it back to his parents safely, worried that he hadn't, and wondering if I'd ever see him again. Xia was the only person I could talk to about him and I sought her out frequently, wanting to talk about the stranger and ask if she thought he was okay. She always comforted me by saying he had definitely made it back. I knew deep down she couldn't be certain of that, but I was too scared to say that out loud and have her confirm it. That stranger was so fascinating to my young mind. I was told to be on my guard because he was my enemy, but how could he be when he was a little boy just like myself? Sometimes, when I managed to get away on my own, I'd go back to that clearing again and hope to find him there, but of course I never did._

_The only other people to ever learn about the existence of that boy and my encounter with him were the Elders and the Leader. I was worried about telling them, but I knew it had to happen; there had been a sign of Phoenix activity alarmingly close to our village after twenty-seven years of total silence. Xia helped me as much as she could and gave her own account to the Elders with me. Part of me was afraid they were going to, I don't know, go track him down or something. I still remember being unnerved by the fear in their eyes when we told them. It was hard to feel safe when the people you looked up to as your protectors were scared._

_The only thing that really changed in the village was that training intensified for the normal villagers who were capable of it, as well as specialized training for some, and people began being recruited as scouts. No one other than the small circle of myself, Xia, and the Elders knew about the reasons behind those changes. It was hard to keep it a secret sometimes, but I did my best. The rest of the village gossipped about war and wondered with their neighbours if the White Tigers were going to attack the Phoenix clan unprovoked. No one talked about it out in the open, but we all knew it was on everyone's mind._

_After those tense weeks our village was as calm and peaceful as it had always been, and it remained that way for another seven years. I stopped thinking about that Phoenix so much, but I never forgot about him. In the eighth year, however, I was forced to think about him much more frequently, and not of my own free will._

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><p><em><strong>- Toadychan<strong> _ (6,382 words)

1: I decided to change Kai's face paint colour, as I've never heard of a blue phoenix. ;3


	2. Leader of the White Tiger Clan

**Author Note:** Thank you all for your lovely reviews last week. :D Here's another chapter! Just out of curiosity, I was wondering what setting do you guys use to view your fanfiction? Full view, 3/4 view, or 1/2 view? I rather like the look of 3/4 myself, but I've been reading fanfiction on full view for years and years, so it's a bit odd to switch over. :)

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><p><span>The Great War of the Clans<span>  
><em>Chapter 1<em>  
>Leader of the White Tiger Clan<p>

_The young man wandered with purpose down the secluded dirt path leading away from his village, perhaps a little farther out than he should have been. His raven black hair, plaited and tied at the end with a strip of red fabric, swayed gently behind him as he walked, level with his ankles. Eyes the colour of sunshine searched the forest around him incessantly. A few more steps brought him to his destination and he was flooded with a feeling of déjà vu. There was the clearing, as untouched and beautiful and expansive as it had been eight years ago. But it was missing something; the thing he was here for. It would come if he waited._

_Someone cried out from across the clearing and the bushes rustled loudly as they fell somewhere out of sight. The explorer felt his heart quicken and excitement bubbled up inside of him as he rushed toward the noise. There it was. He had waited all of these years and his patience was rewarded. Once he reached the crowded bushes, the black-haired man didn't think twice before clambering through them to find the person who had fallen._

_Sure enough, there he was. His clothes were tattered from his trek and his tousled two-toned hair fell into his eyes, but the darker part at the back was long and held at the nape of his neck with a piece of dark cloth. His overall appearance tugged at something in the back of the black-haired man's mind._

_That's right—the stranger was older now. They had both aged. He was much taller than before, and more muscled. It made sense._

_The blue-haired man, feeling eyes on him, suddenly turned and looked up, and honey met crimson in a burst of orange flame._

Rei bolted upright with a gasp of shock, his vision blurred by the orange fire still dancing in his eyes. It felt like it was consuming him and he was panting hard. He gradually got a grip on his senses and tried to blink the flame away. It was gone within seconds, but somehow he kept seeing the afterimage burned into his eyelids every time he blinked. He felt disoriented and hot, as if there had been a real fire in the forest.

Forest? No, he was in his bedroom. It had all been a dream, he realized. A dream that felt so real it could have been a memory.

He jumped violently when Lai spoke from somewhere nearby, his heart thudding even harder against his rib cage than it was already.

"Are you okay?"

"Damn it, Lai, you scared me!" Rei shouted.

"Sorry," Lai apologized, looking both surprised and concerned. Rei wasn't one for raising his voice.

Rei flopped back down on his futon and closed his eyes, draping his arm over his face while he tried to steady his breathing. Lai moved to sit cross-legged on his own futon, which he hadn't bothered putting away yet, and watched Rei. He looked ill.

"Are you okay?" he asked again, much more softly.

Rei shook his head slightly. "Bad dream, then you gave me a heart attack," he mumbled.

Lai didn't respond. After a second of thought he got to his feet again and disappeared, but returned not long after. Seating himself again, he gently set the damp cloth he had gone to get across Rei's arm. Momentarily surprised, Rei took the cloth and used it to wipe the cold sweat from his face, then folded it into a neat rectangle and put it across his forehead.

"Thanks," he said quietly, looking somewhat embarrassed. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled like that."

"No, I should've done something to let you know I was here."

"We share the room," Rei said dryly. "You shouldn't need to announce yourself."

Lai shook his head and waved the subject off. "Are you okay, though? You looked like you were gonna gonna be sick when I came in, and for a second I thought I made you pass out."

Rei stared up at the ceiling for a long moment, trying to organize his thoughts and decide what exactly to tell Lai. He decided to stick to the basics; any more detail was bringing him too close to a secret. "It was just a really strange and vivid dream. I felt sick when I woke up." He paused, then added hesitantly, hoping his words were abstract enough, "I saw a lot of fire. I think I was on fire."

"That explains the panic," Lai said, then paused. "You... haven't had a nightmare in a long time," he commented haltingly, unsure if he was stepping too close to a boundary.

Sure enough, Rei fixed him with a closed off stare for a brief moment, then looked away and said, "Yeah. I guess I'm pretty lucky."

Lai rubbed the back of his neck. He couldn't help pressing the matter. During a period when they were kids, Rei used to wake up in a cold sweat almost every morning for weeks. He tried to get him to talk about it but Rei always brushed him off, saying it was "just a dream," or that he "didn't remember." It was worrisome and frustrating not knowing what was going on, though he wanted to respect his brother's space. When they finally seemed to stop Lai was glad, but this sudden recurrence made him feel uneasy.

"You used to have nightmares a lot as a kid," he said quietly.

Rei made a vague, thoughtful sound as he slowly got to his feet. "I remember. Hope it doesn't start up again or something."

Lai knew by the tone in his voice and the way he was suddenly acting so busy getting dressed that his brother was not going to talk about it, and that Lai should let it go if he wanted to speak with Rei at all that day. With a quiet sigh, Lai stood up and got himself ready, too, beginning with tying his shoulder blade-length hair back with a piece of white cloth.

"Dress pretty for the Election," Rei said in a sing-song voice, teasing Lai and obviously trying to get onto a new topic.

He snorted and followed Rei's lead. "You too, Princess."

Rei threw the damp cloth at him and it landed with a wet _splat_ on his shoulder, just missing his face. Lai laughed. Anything for his brother.

_**.x.**_

It was a beautiful day as far as the weather was concerned. The sun shone brilliantly but a soft breeze played through the trees, creating a pleasant temperature. Large, fluffy clouds dotted the sky, perfect for searching for shapes. In Rei's opinion, it couldn't be a more perfect day for holding the Election—and for having the day off.

The people in the White Tiger clan all had daily chores to keep their village tidy and orderly, and everyone alternated fairly. They also had regular training schedules according to their age and fitness levels, which included martial arts for physical health and general studies for the younger people for intellectual growth. Many trained in specific fields they wanted to make their living, such as medicine, when they turned eighteen and completed the general studies they began as children. Some were given days off or days of lessened work to relax, but when it came to village-wide special occasions everyone had the day to themselves until the event occurring was to take place.

Rei and his friends decided to stop by Xia's home before going to the Elders' hut, which was where the Election was going to be held. They had time to spare before it began and nothing else to do, and they also wanted to help her get ready. She now had a young son and was almost due to give birth to a second child so she needed all the help she could get, especially after her husband had been called away as a scout several days ago, leaving her to take care of everything alone.

"Thank the heavens for all of you," Xia said with a wide smile as she greeted them and they explained the reason for their visit. "Come in."

Rei couldn't help laughing as they entered the room and Xia's son, who had previously been running around the table making loud noises, ran right into Rei's legs and toppled over backwards. He looked up at Rei with shock and then his face split into a grin when he saw who it was.

Rei crouched down and ruffled the small boy's messy black hair. "Hey, Shen."

Shen could talk, albeit not very well, but he rarely did. Instead of responding he simply kept smiling, tilting his head to the side in order to look at the people behind Rei and smile at them, too. The four of them smiled back and Kiki immediately went to the boy's side. Shen clambered to his feet and spread his arms to give him a clumsy hug. The green-haired man seemed to have the strongest bond with the boy, Rei had noticed. He supposed it had something to do with Kiki's short stature, but he wouldn't dream of ever saying it out loud.

"I'll put some tea on," Xia said, bustling over to the fireplace. Rei was amazed she could still move so fast with such a large belly in the way.

"Let me do that," Lai said quickly, taking the tea kettle from his elder's hands. "You sit down and take it easy. We told you why we came here."

Xia looked about to argue, but then gave him a grateful smile and seated herself at the table with a sigh, looking tired. Rei and Gao, a large, silent man, took her cue and pulled out chairs for themselves. Instead of joining them, Mao went right over to Xia and placed both of her hands on her protruding stomach.

"Has she been moving much lately?" the pink-haired girl cooed. She was convinced Xia was going to have a girl, though Rei had no idea how she came to that conclusion. Lai said she just hoped that by calling the unborn baby a girl enough times it would come out as one.

Xia smiled tolerantly. "The baby's been very active, yes. Not so much this morning, but now that there's company it might start to fuss for attention."

Rei tried to spare Xia from Mao, thinking quickly for a topic. "You've still got all those bracelets," he commented, nodding his head toward her forearms crossed over her belly.

Xia followed his gaze and smiled fondly at her rainbow-coloured jewellery, twisting her wrists to make the bracelets clink together. "Each one from a cub," she said proudly, then pointed at one in particular. "There's yours, Rei."

The black-haired boy laughed self-consciously. "I still can't believe you have that one. I made it when I was, what, nine? It all clashes together."

"I keep every one. They're my treasures." The brunette smiled warmly, then picked out another one. "Shen made me this one recently."

"Where's mine?" Mao jumped in eagerly. Xia patiently gestured to it, and then rhymed off the makers of the others as the pink-haired girl asked for them.

Shen resumed making noises while Kiki chased him around the room. Lai tended the fire, and Mao remained focused on Xia's pregnancy. Gao made a surprised sound as Shen bumped into his leg and then began pretending it was a mountain. He just smiled at him, letting the boy use him as a playground. Kiki grinned mischievously and made to climb Gao's other leg but was halted with a glare.

"When's Jun coming back?" Lai asked Xia once he had begun brewing the tea.

Everyone in the room fell silent—except for Shen—and looked at Lai, then at Xia. Xia's smile faltered but she tried to recover it. "Not for a couple of weeks," she said.

"Ooh, I hope he comes back in time," Mao said worriedly, gesturing to Xia's belly.

"Me, too," Xia replied with her watery smile.

The silence was uncomfortable. Rei was about to send Lai an unpleasant look for his tactless question but thought better of it when he saw how embarrassed and guilty he looked already. He got up and decided to help his brother fix tea for everyone.

"So, what do you think about the Election?" Rei asked Xia as he reached for the cups, trying to steer the conversation elsewhere in order to bring back the happier atmosphere.

The older woman seemed glad for his distraction. "I have mixed feelings, I suppose, like a lot of others. Hu's been Leader for a long time and I can understand him wanting to step down, but he does fit the position well."

"What do you think he'll do when he steps down?" Mao asked urgently. "He'll stay in the village, won't he?"

Rei rolled his eyes. It was no secret that Mao had a crush on their Leader. He was admittedly a handsome man, but he was also old enough to be their father.

"I can't say for sure, but I don't see why he wouldn't," Xia said placatingly. "He is a White Tiger, after all."

"Hu's been Leader since you were born, hasn't he?" Rei asked conversationally, setting a full cup of tea down in front of Xia while Lai distributed the rest. She smiled her thanks at him. "Who do you think will take his place?"

"Yes, basically. He was elected when I was about one year old. I can't imagine who will fill his role. Someone young, I'm sure. His age probably has a lot to do with his resignation."

Rei looked at Lai and said, "Lai would be great in the position." He hadn't actually thought of it before, but now that they were on the topic it seemed to click. The dark-haired man had a strong, wild look about him, with his shaggy hair and stern features, and yet he was a gentle and kind person inside. In a lot of ways, Lai reminded Rei of a younger Hu.

"What? Me?" Lai asked, shocked.

"Him?" Kiki exclaimed right after Lai, laughing. "The whole tribe would throw itself off a cliff." He kept chuckling until Gao hit him on the shoulder. Shen continued cackling in his stead, but Gao just smiled at him.

Lai rolled his eyes but otherwise ignored his comment. "It'd be way too much work for me. I actually think Rei's perfect Leader material."

Rei choked a little on the tea he had been sipping. "What? How do you figure that?"

Lai shrugged, as if the answer were obvious. "You're dedicated and passionate, you've got values and work ethic, you're someone people easily follow, you're a strong warrior... I could go on."

"Don't the Elders vote on a Leader based on people they know well?" Rei said in a high voice, his face flushed with embarassment and nerves. He had never thought of himself in such an influential position before and the thought frightened him.

"They do know you, Rei," Mao commented, holding her teacup daintily in the air.

"Let's not talk about this any more," Rei urged, trying to laugh it off and pretend it didn't bother him as much as it really did.

Xia smiled behind her cup and came to Rei's rescue by telling the group some things her son had done lately. Mao eagerly asked her more about her second child after a while and Xia appeased her with details of the baby's activities inside her stomach. When she had run out of things to say, she asked the group of them for information about their own lives. They took turns telling her their stories, until it was nearly time to leave.

Lai and Rei each took one of Xia's arms and helped her to her feet, which made her laugh. She was about to reach for Shen's hand when Gao picked the boy up and placed him securely on his shoulders, which made him squeal with delight as he stretched his arms up to touch the ceiling. They all filed out of the small hut, Xia holding tight to Rei's and Lai's arms as they helped her along, smiling.

"Who needs Jun when I have you two good-looking boys?" she chuckled.

The group of them quickly got absorbed in the throng making their way to the Elders' hut. All of the White Tiger tribe who were able were required to be at the Election. Rei had never been part of such a large gathering and he was in awe at the size of the crowd. Thinking back to Lai's comment at Xia's, he felt his stomach dip uncomfortably at the idea of being responsible for every one of those peoples' lives. He had no idea how anyone could do it, even with the guidance of the Elders.

Shen whooped and giggled from his spot atop Gao, who already towered over more than half of the people surrounding them. He called for his mother to look at him "fly," the first thing he had said since that morning. Xia cheered for him while he flapped his arms like wings, but Rei caught a hint of sadness in her eyes. He remembered her telling him once that Shen spoke a lot less when his father was called away, which had begun to happen quite often lately.

The Elders' hut came into view before long, a wide, temple-like construct at the top of a formidable set of stone stairs. Only the slanting, ornamental roof was visible until they were nearly at the top. Even though Rei already knew what it looked like, he was still amazed at the sight of the building. It dwarfed every home in the village, and he often wondered what it would be like to live in it. It was a shared home between the four Elders and the Leader, but it was large enough to house far more occupants. The size was for both grandeur and practicality, for when it was necessary to have all of the villagers assembled in one place, such as for an Election.

"Look at all the flowers in bloom," Mao said breathlessly as they reached the top and began making their way toward the hut.

Not only was the building itself beautiful and elaborate, but everything around it was just as decorative. The pathway leading toward it was made up of large, smooth stones set neatly into the ground, and the hut itself was surrounded by tall, well-tended wildflowers. It was just the right season for all of them to be in full bloom, creating a rainbow of colour and filling the air with a sweet fragrance.

The line of people they were following eventually brought them near the wide double doors of the building, propped open in welcome. Rei eyed the carvings decorating both the columns outside the entryway and the walls on either side of the doors as they were shuffled into the hut, trying to keep their group together. The large, open room had been emptied of furniture to accommodate the villagers piling in, but it was already packed to the walls. Most of the newcomers began segregating into the hallways so everyone could fit.

Through the crowd, Rei could see the long table at the opposite end of the room was still in its usual position, and it was filled with all four of the Elders. Hu stood behind them, surveying the crowd.

He was an intimidating man, even from such a distance. There was a presence about him that reminded Rei of a wild animal: unpredictable and dangerous. He had waist-length sable hair, very similar to Rei's own, that he let flow unbound down his back, emphasizing his darkly tanned skin. His features were sharp and his eyes were an uncanny shade of sunset orange. For clothing, he usually only opted to wear loose pants and occasionally a pair of shoes, for ease of movement. He was a strongly built man, and admittedly rather handsome despite his forty-five years in age.

After a moment, Hu seemed to notice Rei's stare and turned his own gaze on him. Rei ducked down, his face heating up uncomfortably. He didn't know why, but having Hu look at him made him feel self-conscious. Trying to melt into the group of people around him, Rei casually turned his back to the table and tried to strike up conversation with Lai.

Unfortunately, that didn't last long. Lai abruptly stopped their conversation in order to tell Rei the Elders were pointing at him through the crowd and gesturing for him to go over to their table. He gave his brother a confused look, then gathered his courage to look back at the far end of the room to see for himself. Noticing him finally looking in their direction, two of the Elders smiled and waved him over enthusiastically.

Rei didn't know why he was so apprehensive to go see them. He was on good terms with the Elders, after all. He supposed Lai's comments that morning had him spooked. Maybe he was afraid going near the Elders would have them elect him as Leader.

He politely excused himself from his group of friends and made his way through the crowd, awkwardly squeezing between all of the people and offering apologies as he went. Eventually he made it to the head table, where all of the men greeted him curtly—except for the two who had waved him over.

"Rei, my boy," Xue said cheerfully by way of greeting. "It's been quite a while."

Xue was the Elder he was most familiar with, and he was also the most friendly. He was tall and powerfully built, with short black hair and the same golden eyes as every other White Tiger, though a shade about as light as Rei's own. While all of the Elders led busy lives, Xue took it upon himself more than the others to play with the cubs on occasion, though Liu often joined in when he could. The villagers said the pair of them were young at heart.

"It has," Rei replied with a smile, giving a formal bow.

"No need to bow," Xue scoffed. "I've told you that before."

Rei's face heated up again. "I'm sorry."

"It's very good to see you again," Liu said from his place on Xue's right, smiling warmly at Rei. Liu was easily recognizable because of his shoulder-length sandy brown hair and kind smile, though he was generally a quiet person who often kept to himself.

Rei inclined his head and smiled back at him.

"How have you been?" Liu asked good-naturedly.

"Well, thank you," the young man said, still keeping to his manners. "How about the two of you?"

"Overworked," Xue chuckled, the creases around his eyes becoming more pronounced as he laughed. Their clanspeople were known for aging gracefully, and even though all of the Elders were well into their sixties they had minimal obvious wrinkling to their skin. "Selecting a new Leader isn't an easy task. We've been considering for many weeks."

"I can imagine," Rei commented. He hesitated and his eyes flickered to Hu at the end of the table furthest from himself and Xue. The Leader was within earshot if he was paying attention, and that made Rei consider not asking at all, but then Xue tilted his head expectantly. Not wanting to look stupid, he asked his question despite his concern. "Why is Hu stepping down?" He spoke quietly, in case it was something private.

Xue made a thoughtful noise and leaned back in his chair in a forced casual gesture, something strange in his eyes. Liu looked between the two of them curiously. "Hu says he feels like it's time," he finally said, but there was an edge to his tone. He visibly tried to seem more relaxed when he added, "He _has_ been Leader since he was old enough, following our laws."

"Twenty-seven years is a long time," Rei agreed, although he was curious about the way Xue was holding himself as well as the way he was speaking. He suddenly felt like Hu was staring at him, but Rei was too nervous to look.

"We'd better get ready. It looks like everyone's almost here," Shouzu, one of the Elders Rei didn't know very well, urged Liu and Xue. Rei took that as his cue to leave.

"I'd better let you get to work."

The two men he had been talking to smiled kindly at him and he bowed his head slightly, then turned to make his way back through the crowd. His friends greeted him and he fell automatically into his place beside Lai while the rest of the people continued talking around them. The air was filled with the buzz of their chatter, everyone's voices merging together in Rei's ears. Shen squealed lightly now and then as Gao bounced up and down at random to entertain the boy.

"Did they tell you the new Leader?" Lai asked Rei.

"Of course not."

"When are they going to announce it? It's getting hot in here, and I really want to know."

"I think soon. I came back because they were starting to get ready. Why so impatient? Want it to be you?" Rei joked.

"Yeah, so I can order Mao to leave Xia alone," he said with a glance over his shoulder, where Mao was once again talking to Xia, presumably about the baby judging by her hand gestures.

The crowd grew anxious quickly and it was almost palpable in the air. The constant hum of conversation gradually morphed to become impatient and occasionally irritable complaints, while people fidgeted and bounced on their feet. Rei began to get too hot, and there seemed to be a slight shimmer in the air that made him feel hazy and sleepy.

Finally, the Elders rose to their feet and called everyone to attention, snapping Rei out of his daydream. He tried to focus his whole attention on them but his brain felt fuzzy and sluggish. They began to speak and Rei tried to focus harder, but the words kept weaving in and out of his ears. He wished it wasn't so hot inside the hut, or at least that the people around him would spread out.

"Thank you, all of you, for taking the time to join us here at this Election," Liu said, addressing the entire crowd. "To get right down to it, I'm sure you're wondering why we're doing this in the first place."

He paused to allow the gentle murmur rising through the room to pass, then continued again serenely. "Simply put, it's time. Hu has decided it is his time to step down, after twenty-seven years of skilled leadership. The beginning of a new era is upon us, and as such, it is also time for a new Leader—one who will embrace the things to come with an open mind and a fresh, young spirit. It is just time."

Liu stopped and gestured to Chen, a small, quiet man with slowly greying hair. He cleared his throat and spoke formally. "It's taken a lot of consideration and time to come to a decision. We had to find candidates with all of the base qualities we need our Leader to posses, and then we all had to come to a collective agreement."

"Which wasn't easy," Shouzu said with a raised brow, and there were a few barely concealed laughs from the villagers as he looked at Xue out of the corners of his eyes. "Nor was finding the candidates in the first place. A Leader needs to be strong, fast, diligent, quick on his feet—both figuratively and literally—intelligent, and show promise of growth."

"And considering our wonderful community here, there were a lot of potentials to choose from," Xue flattered the crowd and observed them with a warm smile. "It made things very difficult. Eventually, we managed to narrow it down to a select few, but there was one person that stood out more than the rest, and was actually hand picked by Hu as a candidate at the start."

Xue fell silent and all four of the Elders turned their heads toward Hu. He had been standing out of the way by the wall, but now he stepped around the end of the table and came to the very front. His posture was strong and straight and he kept his hands behind his back as he surveyed all of his people gathered together, his face impassive. He was the picture of leadership, Rei thought.

"The one we have collectively chosen is," Hu paused, searching the crowd for the pair of eyes belonging to the person whose name he was about to announce. Once he finally found them, he firmly said, "Rei Kon."

Rei felt all of the blood drain from his face, making him dizzy. He wasn't sure if he was actually swaying slightly or if he just felt like he was. The faces of everyone in the crowd turned toward him as if he had just become someone new, someone they had never seen before; a stranger trying to blend into their midst. Having all of those eyes on him seemed to make the blood that had left his face flood back into it again, leaving him uncomfortably hot. He had to be dreaming. The sudden nauseous churn of his stomach was real enough to dash his hopes of that being true, and for a second he was afraid he might vomit.

Lai clapped him on the back unexpectedly, effectively jerking him back to reality. His brother whispered a congratulations in his ear, grinning widely at him. Rei wasn't sure what he looked like on the outside, but from the way he felt on the inside he couldn't figure out how Lai could look so happy. He still wasn't entirely sure that he wasn't going to pass out.

While the room hushed and seemed to almost freeze after Hu announced his name, Lai's action set it back in motion. People began cheering and shouting their own words of congratulations.

When Rei made no motion to go to the front of the room, Hu raised his arm and gestured clearly for him to do so. Swallowing thickly, Rei looked around himself briefly, still unsure that he was the one Hu was looking at. Lai gave him a supportive nod and nudged him forward.

Unlike his first time crossing the room, the crowd parted easily for Rei as he walked unsteadily toward the table. The villagers reached out to pat him on the back and some leaned in to speak to him quickly. Their shouts were loud in his sensitive ears, giving him a headache on top of his nausea. Still, he tried to smile kindly in thanks, though he knew how weak it must have looked. When he got close enough, Hu pulled Rei to his side and put a strong hand on his shoulder in a comforting gesture, though it did nothing to ease Rei's nerves. Part of him was scared to look into the eyes of his tribe, afraid their gazes would belie their well wishes, but they held nothing but adoration and encouragement, particularly those of his friends. He tried to focus on them for strength.

His throat was so dry he wasn't sure if he could speak. He turned to Hu and then looked helplessly at the Elders. "This has to be a mistake. There's no way I can do something like this. I'm not responsible enough, not smart enough—I'm not anything enough."

"I shared those feelings when I was elected, Rei," Hu said quietly, his voice husky and somehow like a tiger's growl. It was unexpectedly soothing. "I assure you, you are more than capable of this position. Don't forget I will be personally training you until I deem you ready. Nothing is expected of you right away. You will learn."

Rei still looked disbelieving, so Hu turned to the crowd and yelled, "What do you think of our selection?"

The villagers roared back at him, clapping and cheering. Their shouts were loud enough to make Rei's ears ring. Seeing their reaction overwhelmed him with mixed emotions. It was warming to have so many people believe in him, but by the same token it made him feel like a liar; he would be misleading them into thinking he would be able to do a good job for them and for their clan. There was no way he could do what Hu had done for so long. He was afraid.

Hu fixed him with his dark amber eyes and Rei couldn't look away. They glinted with something secret, and Rei wasn't sure whether to be intimidated or excited.

* * *

><p><em><strong>- Toadychan<strong>_ (11,861 words)

Next chapter, we'll get a peek into the Phoenix clan. :)


	3. Leader of the Phoenix Clan

**Author Note:** All new, never-before-read material from here on out, guys. :D Hope you enjoy it! Sorry this one's late. I had a lot of trouble getting this chapter written, plus I was busy last week sobbing over the end of Harry Potter. I am in denial.

Also, please note that I'm using the original names for all of the characters, meaning: Shouichirou = Voltaire; Boris = Bryan; Yuriy = Tala; and Borcloff = Boris. I couldn't find an actual confirmation on Borcloff's name, so he'll be Borcloff Balkov. And, oh yeah—I didn't expect to have so much Boris/Yuriy fluff, but I... couldn't help myself. I'm not even a big fan of the coupling, but the way they are in my story made me ache for them. I want them to be happyyy. ;o; Hope you guys like it, though, haha.

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><p><span>The Great War of the Clans<span>  
><em>Chapter 2<em>  
>Leader of the Phoenix Clan<p>

_The young man stumbled through the unfamiliar forest alone, his crimson eyes rapidly scanning his surroundings, searching for anything he could use as a landmark. Some of the plant life he was attempting to navigate through was new and foreign to him, and none of the forest was anything like the forests of his clan, which he had had memorized since childhood. His slate blue bangs kept falling in his face, hampering his vision as well as irritating him, while some of the longer navy strands at the back had begun to come loose from the cloth binding them. He felt hot and uncomfortable and unsafe._

_He was farther away from his homeland than he had ever been before. Some of his clan's stronger fighters specializing in stealth, along with his grandfather as well as himself, were part of a group his grandfather had gathered to take the week-long trip to the White Tiger land. His grandfather called it an educational trip, and emphasized the importance of his grandson learning the lay of their land as best as he could in order to be properly prepared for the inevitable rekindling of the war._

_While the rest of his group were setting up camp for the night and doing their own explorations, his grandfather told him to go off on his own and get as familiar with the area as he could, with the condition that he had to be back by sunset. It wasn't difficult to start with, being trained in tracking as he was, but eventually he became overwhelmed with the unfamiliar area and ended up lost._

_He suddenly realized that he had already been taken to the White Tiger lands, and he had already gotten lost in their forest. It was the exact same situation as eight years ago, and he was reliving it now as a young man exactly as he had at the age of twelve. It didn't make sense and he became overwhelmed with confusion. His thoughts blurred and merged together and his vision seemed to fog up. A cry of surprise escaped him as his foot caught underneath a raised tree root that he hadn't seen through his haze._

_He landed painfully face-first on the ground. His foot and ankle suddenly ached and burned, and he hissed in pain as he forced himself into a sitting position to assess the damage. Before he even got the chance to see his ankle he felt the presence of someone nearby and quickly looked up, preparing to be attacked. He was shocked to meet eyes the colour of sunshine before everything was engulfed in scorching orange flames._

Kai suddenly awoke in a cold sweat, breathing heavily. He bolted upright in his bed and his sleep-hazed eyes frantically searched the room for the honey-eyed man he had just seen. Once he realized there was no one there, he fell back against his pillows and stared at the ceiling, waiting for his breathing to slow and his body to relax.

He knew that man, he realized. The harder he thought about the dream, the more detail he remembered, such as the face surrounding those eyes. There was only one person Kai had ever met that looked like that man, and it had been a ten-year-old White Tiger boy. It confused him to be dreaming of that boy now when he hadn't dreamt of him in seven years, and it was especially perplexing that he managed to dream him up as an adult. It took him a second to recall his name, but once he had he couldn't figure out how he had forgotten it, even if only for a moment.

Rei. That's what he called himself when Kai met him as a child. He hadn't thought of that part of his trip to the White Tiger lands in a long time. It made him feel strangely unsettled, and he hoped it wasn't going to continue to affect his focus throughout the day.

Deciding some early morning meditation would help, Kai threw on a pair of light pants and stepped outside. The sun was just starting to rise over the horizon, dazzling him for a moment. It was a pleasantly cool morning, and that combined with the damp grass beneath his bare feet helped him free his mind. He sat comfortably in a patch of early morning sunshine, closing his eyes and tilting his head up toward the sky. The cold dew soaked into his pants quickly and raised goosebumps on his skin.

For a while he managed to block out any distractions, easily replacing them with the warm sunlight on his face and the sweet scent in the air. Then the yellow sunlight morphed into a pair of golden eyes behind his eyelids, breaking his concentration. Upset with himself, Kai shook his head and opened his eyes, forcefully taking in his surroundings and making sure he was alone. He didn't want to get absorbed in thoughts and delusions of that boy—man. Not again, after trying so hard to forget about him in the years after they met.

Kai had always been rattled by how kind those two White Tigers had acted toward him and it was hard to forget, especially when it directly contradicted everything he had been told as a child. Tigers were supposed to be vicious and ruthless. They were supposed to tear your flesh from your bones the second they looked at you.

He was just a little boy, Kai told himself again. That thought had become his anchor, his answer for something unexplained. Everything had a reason. Rei was young, therefore naive and not strong enough to take anyone on by himself. The girl with him had been a lot older, but she was still only a young adult at the time, as well as a woman. Women didn't fight.

The grown up Rei he had seen in his dreams would be different. He had had years to train and strengthen himself, years to hone his killer instincts. Kai had spent those years doing the very same thing, but in preparation for defending himself from the ruthless Tigers, rather than to attack mindlessly. He had a sudden image of that man with a crazed look on his face, his eyes cold and wild, pupils thin slits as he went in for the kill.

Kai knew he wasn't going to get anywhere with his meditation. It was supposed to relax him so he could train peacefully afterward, but his mind was just too busy. Instead, he got to his feet and began bouncing on the spot lightly, feeling his muscles clench and then loosen, swinging his arms carelessly, trying to shake the thoughts out. After a minute of that, he went right into his usual combat training routine, timing his kicks and punches and evading maneuvers against an imaginary foe. It didn't keep his mind off of Rei like he hoped it would, but it did allow him to work off most of his frustrations.

His attempt at relaxation didn't get to last as long as he hoped it would. Not far into his routine, Shouichirou rounded the corner of the Hiwatari property and simply stood there, watching his grandson. Kai saw him shortly after he appeared and immediately stopped what he was doing. The two stared at each other from different ends of the grounds for a long while, neither moving and neither speaking. Kai didn't want to let up because he knew it would be admitting defeat—that's how his grandfather was—but he was too irritated to deal with another one of his silly games.

"What do you want?" he shouted at him.

Shouichirou didn't reply. Instead, he stretched his arm out and beckoned Kai toward him. _It is improper to shout_. Kai could practically read the words on the elderly man's face, even from such a distance. Increasingly more frustrated, he strode to his grandfather's side, doing as he was told and as was professional. It was his job as Leader to set a standard for the rest of the tribe, whether anyone could see him or not, and no matter how angry he was.

"You need to prepare," Shouichirou said when Kai stopped directly in front of him, his dark crimson eyes aflame with irritation.

Kai narrowed his eyes as if he thought the man was playing a joke, but then they widened very slightly. He had forgotten they were expecting tribesmen from the Wolf clan that day. Brushing his grandfather off, Kai purposefully stepped around him and went back inside. He would need a proper wash and formal clothing, as well as having their meal for later in the evening prepared. It was irresponsible of him to have forgotten, and while he didn't exactly appreciate Shouichirou's interruption, it was for the best.

Besides, it stopped him from thinking about Rei.

... Damn it.

_**.x.**_

Everything came together well enough, much to Kai's relief, and he was prepared to greet his guests when they arrived. Shouichirou watched carefully, as he always did, ready to point out and correct anything Kai did wrong. Making a fool of his grandson and calling attention to his shortcomings was one of the many things he seemed to excel at. Fortunately for Kai, he was used to greeting the Wolf clan's Leader more than any other tribesman, and so his grandfather had nothing negative to comment on.

The Wolf Leader had fair skin and short, pale lilac-coloured hair that matched his eyes, which would have made him seem frail if not for his tall stature and strong build. His features were hard-edged, his thin-lipped mouth set in a frown, and his eyes exhibited his natural fortitude.

The man that accompanied Boris looked even more fragile and delicate standing beside his Leader than he already seemed on his own. His complexion was just as porcelain, but although he was also a tall man his body was thin and lithe, almost feminine in his form-fitting uniform. Though his eyes were the colour of ice, they burned with strength and passion as bright as his flame-red hair.

Kai took Boris' hand firmly in his own and they both leaned forward in a slight bow. Their faces were mirror images of each other, cold and impassive. After Boris greeted him, Yuriy, the Wolf Leader's personal bodyguard, took Kai's hand and they exchanged their own bows. Shouichirou took his turn with the formalities next, and then they moved on to Borcloff, Shouichirou's own bodyguard.

The four of them settled into their places at the long table, Kai at the head and Boris opposite him. Yuriy sat on Boris' right, and Shouichirou and Borcloff settled themselves either side of Kai. It was silent for a long moment. Shouichirou coughed into his hand.

"How are the Wolves?" he asked to initiate conversation.

"The tribe is well-behaved," Boris stated.

Shouichirou nodded, and it grew silent again. After a long pause he gave Borcloff a meaningful look, then cleared his throat. "Well then, if you'll excuse us, we will leave you be. You are Kai's guests, after all, not ours. We'll see you when dinner is served."

He stood up and exited the room at a brisk pace. Borcloff followed him out, but at a slower pace and not without glancing back at the three young men still seated at the table.

Once they were both gone, Yuriy grinned. "Guess he realized it was going to be the same as last time."

Kai shook his head in annoyance. "I don't know what he expects. You're here on pleasure, not business, and I'm Leader now, not him."

"He's just a controlling, nosy old bastard," Boris scoffed. Yuriy laughed, and Kai couldn't hold back a small smile.

The three of them rose from their seats and met by the middle of the table, each taking a turn exchanging firm embraces with the Phoenix Leader. It was much more relaxing being alone with them than having his grandfather prying like he always did, and it allowed all of them to let down some of the walls they had built for their own safety.

In the Phoenix tribe it was a longstanding tradition that the men of the Hiwatari family simply exchanged leadership when the oldest son per generation reached the minimum age requirement of eighteen. It was always a quiet transition, requiring no elaborate elections or anything more than a formal dinner and an official proclamation. The Phoenix clan villagers were never involved with the Hiwataris in any way because of their status and the noble reputation the family maintained, and because of their lack of respect for the lower class most of the villagers avoided Kai when they saw him. That left him with no one for company except for his grandfather, since his parents had died when he was very small.

Not long after Kai turned nine years old his tribe began diplomatic negotiations with the neighbouring Wolf clan, seeking to ally with them. Shouichirou brought his grandson with him when he left for business in the Wolf lands, seeking to teach Kai how to handle foreign relations. That was when he met the son of the Wolf Leader, Boris Kuznetsov, who was silent, reclusive, and mean.

It was a tentative relationship for a while, not even bordering on friendship for a long time. Boris had been raised in the same strict, solitary ways as Kai had been, growing up primed for his inevitable position as Leader of the Wolf clan, and those similarities connected them while at the same time kept them at a distance. Eventually their likenesses managed to draw them together and a tight bond formed between the two of them, turning them into brothers. They were able to better understand each other's lives far more than anyone else ever could have.

Not long afterward, Boris introduced Kai to his only other friend: Yuriy, the son of one of Boris' father's lackeys. The boy had a low status and shouldn't have been Boris' friend at all, so it was an extreme show of trust when he told Kai about their secret friendship. Boris had a protective nature when it came to Yuriy, and Kai saw him take the blame for the small redhead on many occasions. Despite his position, Yuriy proved to be a kindhearted friend that Kai quickly opened up to as well. He was often subservient out of habit, but eventually he became comfortable enough with the both of them to treat them as if they were all equals.

They remained friends through the years, though they were careful to act neutral around each other when under watchful eyes. Once they were alone, they were able to relax and be themselves. It was very cathartic for Kai whenever he was able to see them privately, especially when the visits weren't for business. Unfortunately, from Shouichirou's actions recently Kai suspected an ulterior motive for their visit that they may not even know yet.

The three of them migrated to the other side of the room, which was set aside for more relaxed meetings. It was furnished with two luxurious maroon couches facing each other with a small, ornate table centered between them. Boris and Yuriy sat side-by-side on one while Kai laid inelegantly on the other, his legs stretched out across the unoccupied cushions. Yuriy placed his hand comfortably on Boris' thigh, the action smooth and natural. Boris put his own hand on top of Yuriy's.

The display of affection didn't surprise Kai; what did surprise him was how dangerous such a gesture was. He had known of their relationship since it began, and while he didn't object to it for what it was, he was concerned about the risks they were taking. Boris was a Kuznetsov, a member of the family that had led the Wolf clan for generations; he was royalty. Yuriy had no status to speak of, his mere presence around Boris only accepted because of his father's lowly but necessary position as both bodyguard and personal assistant—a servant, really. When Boris ascended to his position as Leader and he selected Yuriy to fill the role of his own bodyguard it sent a ripple through their village. Many people saw it as Boris degrading himself by choosing the son of an assistant to be his own assistant, the expendable offspring of someone already low class. The true depth of their relationship had to be kept absolutely hidden, for Yuriy's safety more than Boris'.

"It's fine," Yuriy said casually, noticing where Kai was looking. "We're good at this." He smiled playfully. Kai supposed they would have had a lot of practice hiding things like that in their own village. Still, he worried. There was no telling what punishment Yuriy would receive if they were caught. Then again, Boris would do everything it took to protect him.

"How are the preparations?" Boris asked, his tone low.

Kai stared at him for a moment, not comprehending the question, then realized what he was referring to and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Over the top. Maybe," he amended. "For all I know, it's not enough. I can't tell since Grandfather has a habit of stretching the truth, but it's not like I have anything else to go on. We could just as easily have too much manpower as not enough."

Boris nodded thoughtfully. "None of us have even seen a White Tiger before so it's hard to make that call. Well, none of us except..." he trailed off.

"He was ten," Kai bit out. "I don't know what they're like any more than you do." His only two friends were also the only two people he had ever told about his encounter with Rei.

"He could've been the freak of the tribe," Yuriy said jokingly. "There's always at least one."

The red-haired man's words left Kai imagining tiny little Rei surrounded by people who shared his features but looked like cruel, bloodthirsty monsters, with their eyes frighteningly feral, their elongated teeth visible in twisted smiles, and their hands curled like claws. It disturbed him.

"Does Shouichirou expect them to attack soon?" Boris wondered.

"I don't know. He's acted like they were going to attack 'soon' for a few years now."

"It doesn't feel right to go after them first," Yuriy said quietly, looking somewhere beyond Kai's head, the earlier humour gone from his eyes. Boris looked at him with a complicated expression on his face, like he wanted to say many things but didn't know which one to choose, so he simply squeezed his hand.

"It's... difficult," Kai mumbled, his brows furrowing. He didn't know how he felt about the idea, either. "I don't know if he wants to make the first move or just be ready. I am Leader, but Shouichirou still has a lot of power. He's sneaky. When it comes right down to it, I'm not sure I can really do anything."

It grew quiet as they all thought for a while, unsure of what to say. Before any of them could start speaking again, the door to the lounge opened and Shouichirou entered the room. Boris and Yuriy's hands flew apart just in time, and Yuriy stood quickly in order to bow low, as expected of his position. Shouichirou stopped near the open door and faced them, paying no attention to Yuriy. He had a wide smile on his face.

"Kai, my boy. Please come with me."

Kai narrowed his eyes. "We have company."

Shouichirou's eyes briefly flickered to the two Wolves, the redhead still bowed formally, then back to his grandson. His smile wavered only slightly. "This is private Phoenix business. Your guests are staying for a few days; they will be fine without you for a couple of hours."

Kai made a frustrated sound under his breath and gave Boris a quick, apologetic look. He strode across the room and exited through the open door without looking at Shouichirou. The retired Leader smiled politely at Boris and then followed his grandson, shutting the door behind him.

Boris rose to his feet the second the door clicked shut and forced Yuriy to stand straight. Holding his face gently between both of his hands, he made him look into his eyes, hoping they would convey all of the things he couldn't get out of his mouth without stumbling over all of the words.

_I hate that you have to do that; you're better than that, you're better than them; I don't look down on you like they do; you're my equal; I love you._

Yuriy simply smiled sadly and kissed him.

_**.x.**_

"It's time," Shouichirou began. "The White Tigers have elected their new Leader."

Kai felt his mouth drop open with shock. The statement was so sudden and unexpected. He wasn't even certain as to what his grandfather meant by it, but he had a very strong inkling that sent an unpleasant feeling rippling down his spine.

"That's not very professional," his grandfather admonished, looking at Kai's open mouth with distaste. Kai closed it quickly.

"What are you talking about? What does that mean for us? How do you even know?"

"It means, the time is right," he said simply. Shouichirou then turned to face the other side of the small sitting room they had ducked into and asked loudly, "Shall we explain?"

Kai jumped as someone rose out of the high-backed chair Shouichirou was looking at. The other side of the room was dim due to the positioning of the windows and it took Kai a second to make the person's shape out, but once his eyes adjusted and he saw their long black hair his heart seemed to stop and he couldn't take in a breath. When the man turned around he sought Kai's eyes immediately and Kai did the same, unable to see anything else. They were golden.

That name almost escaped his lips, but he caught himself just in time. He began to see the rest of the face and realized it wasn't the same person; this man was older, powerful, wild. Dangerous. And his eyes were too darkly tinted. They were not Rei's. Even so, he was definitely a White Tiger. His eyes, ears, and teeth gave that away.

The man smiled at his obvious shock, his eyes almost sadistically amused. One of his sharp canines overlapped his lower lip. Kai's body tensed and he took a half-step back, unconsciously bracing himself to either attack or be attacked.

"Now, what kind of behaviour is that? Hu is our guest. Mind your manners," Shouichirou rebuked him, looking embarrassed by his grandson's behaviour.

Kai looked at him with anger and disbelief, shocked he could say such a thing. "What have you drilled into my head all of these years? He's a White Tiger! Just look at him!"

"Hu is our ally, Kai, as well as our guest for the time being. You are to treat him as you would treat the Wolves."

"How can he be our ally? Why wouldn't you tell me? How long has he been sneaking around? I'm surprised he hasn't killed you in your sleep—or me, for that matter. How could you let him into our ho—"

"Enough," Shouichirou demanded, raising his voice and effectively cutting Kai off. Kai clenched his teeth, his jaw tight. "Keep your mouth shut long enough to learn." He turned back to Hu, though Kai continued to glower at the old man from under his long bangs. "I'm sorry for his outburst. As you may have gathered, I haven't informed him of our connection."

Hu laughed quietly, looking endlessly amused. "It's perfectly fine. I can understand his anger; I would be feeling it myself. My report will wait until after, I presume?"

"Yes, if that's alright. You can help yourself to any form of entertainment on the property."

Hu shook his head. "I'm fine waiting here. I can personally answer any questions the boy might have."

"'The boy' is right here," Kai said angrily. Hu smiled widely at him again. It was incredibly unnerving.

"Let's make ourselves comfortable, then," Shouichirou said wearily.

Hu re-seated himself in the high-backed chair he had previously been occupying, but only after turning it around so it faced the rest of the room. Shouichirou chose the nearby twin of Hu's chair, and Kai sat as far away from the both of them as he could get without having to shout across the room.

"Should I begin, or shall you?" Hu asked the grey-haired man casually, languidly stretching in his chair. He wasn't wearing a shirt and Kai couldn't help noticing the way his lean muscles moved. Even his body was like a White Tiger's: lithe and wiry.

"It is your story."

"Well, then," the Tiger said lightly, almost a purr, and turned in his chair so that he faced Kai directly. His unwavering amber stare set Kai on edge like no one else's gaze ever had before. He was self-aware and bursting with confidence, and intelligence glinted behind his eyes. It was obvious from just a glance that he knew how to get what he wanted. "I suppose it is best to start with the beginning. It should also clear a few things up for you. First things first: despite how I look, I am, above all else, a Phoenix."

Kai interrupted him with a snort of disbelief. "Then why have I never seen you before?"

Hu's eyes glinted with amusement. "You have."

Kai waited for him to continue, but he didn't. Frustrated, he mockingly said, "I think I would remember seeing a Tiger in my tribe."

"You were young," the older man said dismissively. "You were probably—oh, six years old or so, the last time you saw me. Of course, I saw you many times after, but you were usually asleep or studying. It wouldn't have been polite for me to interrupt." A small smile played across his lips. "I've been away for a long time, only coming back when I was able."

"Where have you been, then?" Kai pressed rudely, feeling uncomfortable after the implication that he had just made.

Hu stared at him for a long moment, not quite smiling. It was almost as if he were looking for something in Kai's eyes. Finally, he answered the question. "I've been with the White Tiger clan."

Kai leapt out of his seat. He wanted to say something scalding but words failed him. All he could do was open and close his mouth and make an angry gesture.

"Sit down, boy," Shouichirou ordered. "You need to keep your composure. It will be your undoing."

Kai dropped back into his chair and rested his elbow on the arm, covering his eyes with his hand. "This is ridiculous," he muttered under his breath, wishing he had the courage to vocalize the insult to his grandfather's intelligence that flitted across his mind.

Hu went on smoothly, as if there had been no interruption at all. "My father was a Phoenix. And he was also a fool. He was tricked by a White Tiger seductress, and after giving birth to me she showed her true colours as an agent for her tribe. My father told me how she murdered my uncle, and almost killed him as well as me, but was stopped by some of the tribespeople coming to his aid. She fled afterward, only to die not long after."

"If you take after your mother so much, who's to say you're not an agent just the same?"

"No one but Shouichirou," he said honestly. Kai was taken aback.

"And I have every reason to believe in Hu's reliability," the older man added. "I've known him since he was born. He began life in our very own clan. He is a Phoenix as much as you or I."

"How did your parents even meet if your mother was a Tiger?" Kai cut in. "Our tribes are a seven day journey apart."

Hu's eyes seemed to darken. "She tricked him, like any White Tiger would. She pretended to be hurt and lost. Or maybe she really was," he shrugged, trying to look detached, "but even so, it was only something she used to achieve her own ends."

"If you were born here, as Grandfather says, then how did you end up with the White Tigers? Wouldn't that be a little suspicious?"

"It is not unusual for people from any clan to separate themselves and live alone in the wilderness, particularly expectant couples. You know this," the White Tiger explained, tilting his head curiously. "I slipped in relatively easily, claiming to be the grown child of a couple I had managed to learn the names of. They are a very accepting and trusting tribe." He grinned again then, almost as if at a private joke.

"So you just hid amongst the villagers like a snake in grass?" Kai said derisively.

"Of course not," Hu laughed. "I became their Leader."

"_What?_" Kai exclaimed, looking at his grandfather with disbelief. "_Leader?_ Do you have any idea what you're doing? How can you trust this man?"

Shouichirou looked to be on the verge of losing his patience, but Kai didn't care. "I already told you once: I've known Hu since he was born. I pride myself on being a good judge of character."

"You also pride yourself on believing every White Tiger is a vicious demon that needs to be crushed," he retorted.

"They do," Hu said unexpectedly, his expression angry. Despite his claims of being a Phoenix, his pupils had tightened to thin slits. "I couldn't choose my parentage, but I have chosen where to lay my loyalties. That is the best I can do."

Kai stared at him for a long moment, and Hu stared back. The cocky act was gone for the moment, replaced with a strong fire of determination in his orange-gold eyes, a strange almost-mix of red and yellow—Phoenix and Tiger. That lack of attitude, more than anything else, made Kai consider placing a small amount of trust in that man.

"I think you should report now," Shouichirou broke the silence, leaning forward to glance out the window, impatiently looking for the sun's position.

"Right," Hu acknowledged, sliding easily back into his confident demeanor. He turned again to Kai and sat up straight. "My report will probably have gaps for you since this is the first time you're learning of any of this, so ask questions as you need to. Fortunately, what I have to say is short and straightforward.

"As I told you previously, I became Leader of their clan. I held that position for twenty-seven years, but last week we held an election for a new Leader. It was time, and will allow us to make our next move."

Kai's throat tightened at Hu's implication. It almost sounded like Shouichirou had been planning a preemptive strike on the Tigers and Hu was in on it—but no one had told Kai. The thought certainly crossed his mind, but he didn't want it to be true.

"I had a bit of difficulty presuading them to agree on the candidate I had decided would be the best choice for our needs, but in the end they conceded. The old fools are fond of the boy. Can't say I blame them, really. He's got spirit, and something about him draws people in. But more importantly, he's peaceful and quiet and will be easy for me to manipulate."

"He's the one you wrote to me about during the process?" Shouichirou interrupted.

"Yes. The boy named Rei Kon. Luckily he turned eighteen this year or it would have been a lot more difficult to find someone."

Kai felt his blood run cold, freezing him to the spot. Part of him was thankful for it, since it stopped him from voicing the shocked objection echoing off the insides of his skull.

"I'll be able to take him whenever you wish," Hu added, then paused and turned to Kai. "Or when Kai wishes, I suppose."

"Take him?" Kai asked for clarification, his voice slightly higher pitched than he wanted it to be.

"We've been conspiring," Shouichirou began. "Hu infiltrated the tribe when he was still very young. After a few years of earning their trust he was placed into the most influential position, as we had been hoping, leaving the Tigers at our mercy. But it wasn't time to act then—not until we had all of the knowledge and all of the forces we needed, which took a long time and a lot of careful planning. And, of course, someone to take Hu's place once it was almost time.

"Now, it is time. We're going to kidnap the new Leader—Rei Kon."

Kai swallowed thickly. "Why do we need to kidnap him? Why not just leave Hu as Leader and keep controlling them? I'm sure there's a lot we could do that way."

"That's not really possible," Hu answered in place of Shouichirou. "They have four Elders who must clear your decisions before they're acted upon. It's imperative to stay in their good graces and not raise any suspicions whatsoever. I haven't been controlling or manipulating anyone; I've merely been gaining their trust along with their knowledge and relaying it back here. That was my mission from the very beginning."

Kai stared between the two of them, waiting for more. When no further information was offered, he repeated his other question. "So what's the purpose of kidnapping the new Leader, then?"

Shouichirou smiled maliciously. "To stir up the White Tigers."

Kai narrowed his eyes. He was right. But he didn't want to be. "You mean, to start the war up again."

"Precisely."

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><p><em><strong>- Toadychan<strong>_ (17,491 words)

Next time, it's back to the Tigers! What's going to happen? Ooh...


	4. Lying In Wait

**Author Note:** I apologize that this has been the only thing I've managed to put up so far this month—and that it's actually after midnight, argh. Busy and tiring days! My writing schedule has also gotten out of hand, but there's more details about that in my profile. Rest assured, though, that I'm doing my best. Thank you so much for your patience and I hope you'll continue to enjoy this story. :) I also apologize if the pacing is awkward in this chapter... It's still something I struggle with. Heck, I apologize for any typos/grammar errors/totally messed up wording for this chapter. I just really wanted to put it up for you guys and stop nitpicking at it. :( I proofread it so many times I'm now sick of it, haha.

On an unrelated note, did you guys know that Lai/Lee and Mao/Mariah are actually brother and sister? I found that out recently, much to my surprise. Either I'm blind and/or deaf, or they overlooked that in the anime dub. XD I never knew!

Also for those interested, I'm currently open for short story prompts! The full details are in my profile, so feel free to have a look if you have a short idea you'd like to see me write for you.

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><p><span>The Great War of the Clans<span>  
><em>Chapter 3<em>  
>Lying In Wait<p>

Things grew frantic for Rei after he was unexpectedly appointed his tribe's next Leader. He felt stunned for the first few days and didn't know what to do with himself. Burying his mind in his training and chores only worked for a certain amount of time; someone would inevitably bring up his big position change and leave him feeling scared and numb again.

His friends held a small celebration for him immediately after the Election, which was a nice thought but only ended up making him feel more miserable. What did lift his spirits was the late night talk he had alone with Lai afterward, about the suddenly changed future as well as trivial things from the past. Confiding in his brother was just what he needed to temporarily clear his mind and get a little bit of rest that night. Much to Rei's delight, their talks began to grow more frequent after that. He and his brother hadn't spent so much time talking since they were kids, regaling each other with fantasized stories of adventure. Having Lai there for him was what made the next few weeks something close to tolerable.

The day after the announcement, Hu paid a brief visit to Rei's home early in the morning to explain that he would be leaving for the next fortnight on business. Rei, still tired and overwhelmed from the day before, panicked at the idea of being left alone to deal with the rest of the village. Hu reminded him he wasn't the Leader yet and that he had to stay focused on his studies, which would be changing soon to suit the topics he needed to learn about. Rei didn't know what it was about Hu, but he had a knack for calming people. He supposed it came with being a Leader, which only served to heighten his nerves and feelings of inadequacy even more.

The first few days of Hu's absence were the most difficult. The announcement was still fresh in everyone's minds, making it nearly impossible for Rei to escape the stares. He was quickly overcome with the constant buzz of excitement and gossip that enveloped him everywhere he went, and while he didn't overhear much in the way of negative commentary, he tried his best to avoid all of it completely—good or bad. Once the second week began and the villagers had mostly exhausted their source of gossip surrounding him Rei found it easier to relax and focus on his future task.

Shortly after Hu's departure, Rei's curiosity got the better of him and he decided to ask the Elders why he had left. They were hesitant about giving their answer at first, and only said that he was taking his turn as a scout with a group of other warriors to patrol the perimeter of their lands. Rei had no reason not to accept their answer, but their increasingly strange behaviour when it came to Hu made him wonder what was going on. However, he decided he had too much on his mind at the moment to really worry about it.

Once things had settled down in the tribe and Rei could train and study peacefully again, nothing else particularly special happened—until the day Jun finally came home.

It was unexpected, as the warriors' returns often were, and it made the tribe come alive with excitement. Rei was surprised to see the group of villagers gathering near the entrance of their humble community and ventured over to see what was going on. An elderly but enthusiastic woman quickly explained to him without prompting that the signals had been lit. Sure enough, when Rei backed up and looked to the distant left of the village he saw the tip of the tower situated just inside the forest was alight. It was their signal fire, alerting the clan that someone was approaching. In the days of war it had been used as a warning that an enemy was on their way to attack, but the system had eventually become a sign of happy returns for the villagers.

Rei found it relieving to be amongst a crowd of people who were talking about something other than him for once. He could feel the anticipation rolling off of every person there, each one waiting for a friend or loved one to return safely from their mandatory patrol. Every male villager over the age of eighteen was required to participate in both scouting patrols, which took place every fortnight and also lasted a fortnight on average, and hunting groups, which set out twice a week to hunt for food to feed the tribe. Normal patrols surveyed the White Tiger lands, but there were also guard patrols that protected traders to and from their village and then back to the ones they had come from. None of them were considered a safe job and most of them separated their families for long periods of time, so naturally it was a big occasion when they returned.

Out of the corner of his eye Rei noticed Mao ushering Xia out of her hut, tugging on her arm excitedly. The sight made his stomach drop and he wished he could send Xia back inside. Perhaps he was being pessimistic, but he thought it would have been better for Xia if she found out Jun hadn't come back later on, rather than watching everyone but her husband emerge from the trees. It made him feel even more sick when Shen hurried outside after his mother and clung to her leg, looking nervously at the large throng of people. If Jun wasn't one of the returning tribespeople, so close to Xia's due date, it would be crushing for his family.

Rei turned his head at the sound of Xia's name being called and relief flooded through him. A black-haired man had broken away from the rest of the ranks and took off running toward Xia. She couldn't help herself and broke down in tears, trying to hurry out to meet her husband despite the awkwardness of her stomach, but he quickened his pace to catch up with her before she could get far. He embraced her tightly for a moment, then bent over to pick up Shen, who was smiling widely, and then hugged the both of them. Rei couldn't help but smile along with the reunited family, especially at the sight of Shen with his father. They were almost mirror images of each other.

Rei slipped away unnoticed by the crowd and made his way home. Jun and Xia's reunion was a private one, just like everyone else's, and he didn't have anyone to wait for.

_**.x.**_

Rei was startled awake early one morning exactly two weeks after Hu's departure. His mother was in the doorway, whispering his name urgently. Mind fogged with sleep, he glanced at the barely lit window and then at his brother, who was snoring softly with his mouth hanging open. Unable to make sense of the situation, he simply stared dumbly at his mother.

"The Leader is here for you," she whispered. After realizing what she said, she amended, "I mean, Hu is here for you."

She left as Rei got to his feet and began scrounging around in the semidarkness for presentable clothing, which took a surprising amount of time. He finally emerged from his shared bedroom with his hair still loose and tousled, squinting slightly as he adjusted to the candlelight. His father was at the table, looking very much like Rei with haphazard clothing and mussed hair, but trying his best to be formal as he sat across from Hu, who was the total opposite with his long hair brushing his bare back smoothly. When he glanced in Rei's direction he smiled, looking wide awake.

"Good morning, young Leader," he said by way of greeting, making Rei feel uncomfortable as he looked him up and down with amusement. "I apologize for troubling you so early, but I'm afraid you're going to have to get used to it."

Rei didn't know what to say. His mind still wasn't functioning properly and he wasn't yet convinced that the scene before him wasn't a dream. Hu sitting so casually at his kitchen table—someone of importance in such a mundane, familiar environment—wasn't something he was accustomed to. All he could do was blink slowly.

Hu laughed lightly and rose to his feet. "How about I give you a few minutes to get yourself together? Don't bother with breakfast, though—we've got a bit of training to do, and then I'll have a meal prepared for us at the Elder's hut."

Hu was out the door before Rei could think of how to respond. His parents looked at him with sleepy smiles, somehow still beaming with pride. He couldn't help smiling back, even though he was beginning to realize what was in store for him now that Hu had returned. Having the transfer of power postponed made it easier for Rei to pretend it wasn't going to happen at all. Not to mention the fact that he had been allowed to remain in his family's residence only because of Hu's absence. Now he was going to have to prepare himself to move into the Elder's hut, where he wouldn't have the silent comfort of Lai sleeping in the same room and knowing his parents were only a few steps away.

"Go back to bed," he told them. "Thanks for getting me up, though I'm sorry for the trouble."

They didn't wait to be told twice. Both of them kissed him on top of the head on their way back to their room, his mother whispering "good luck" as she passed.

Rei looked down at himself and realized his shirt was inside out. It was going to be a long day.

After finding more appropriate clothing—loose-fitting and thin, suited for exercise—Rei really only had time to brush and tie his hair. It was a lengthy process every morning and Hu returned before he had even finished. They exchanged a greeting and then Hu leaned against the doorway silently. Rei felt nervous braiding his hair with the older man's eyes on him and tried to finish up quickly.

"You're very good at that," he commented softly, his low voice easily audible in the quiet house. The sound made Rei jump a little.

"Th-thanks," he stuttered, flashing an embarrassed smile and then focusing even harder on tying the end of his hair. He didn't want Hu to notice his hands shaking.

"All set, then?" the Leader asked as Rei finished the knot, pushing away from the wall. Rei nodded and stood, waiting for instruction. "Good clothing choice. I know you already have a physical training regimen, but Leaders have to be trained as warriors. I'm afraid that means it's going to become a lot more rigorous, but I think you'll adapt well enough. The first thing we'll do today is a morning run. Ready?"

Rei wanted to say _no_, but instead he nodded. Hu smiled proudly and stepped outside.

Although Hu had warned him the physical training was going to get harder, he didn't expect such an onslaught so quickly. Rei was doubled over and panting by the time they reached the doors of the Elder's hut, the sun already beating down on his back as it climbed steadily through the sky. Hu made him run laps around the village, followed by repeated climbs of the formidable ceremonial steps leading up to the Elder's hut.

"Now is when I'd begin the hand-to-hand combat training with you—"

Rei's head jerked up to stare at him with wide eyes, chest still heaving.

"—but I think we'll have to work into that more gradually," Hu finished with a laugh.

Rei allowed himself to collapse on his front in the cool grass, letting the morning dew soothe his burning skin. Hu continued to chuckle, resting casually against one of the carved wooden posts supporting the hut's overhang. Rei stared at him discreetly through the mixture of his bangs and the blades of grass. He couldn't figure out how he did it; the man was only just out of breath, and yet Rei, twenty-seven years younger than Hu, could barely stand up.

"Your body will adjust," Hu said, almost as if he knew what Rei was thinking. "It took me a long time, too. There's nothing wrong with you. In fact, you're in excellent shape. I'm impressed."

Rei didn't comment. He rolled onto his back and stared up at the pale blue sky, letting the chilly morning breeze combine with the dewy grass to cool down his overheated body. For a moment, with everything else out of his line of sight, he could pretend he was all alone in that beautiful morning, simply basking in the sun and enjoying the nature around him with no other goal or motive. In actuality, he was training to become Leader for an entire village, something he knew next to nothing about, with no one to help him except for a man he had barely spoken to before the Election. He closed his eyes and wished desperately to be able to rely on his older brother for protection, like when they were children. But he knew that this time, no matter how much Lai might want to, he couldn't protect Rei at all. It was his turn to be a grown up.

"The exercise messed up your hair," Hu said softly from somewhere close by.

Rei jumped to his feet out of fright. He hadn't even heard Hu move, too lost in his own thoughts to keep his senses alert. The man remained crouched beside where Rei's head had lain, smiling toothily up at him.

"Would you like help fixing it? I have some experience," he said, shaking his head just enough for some of his own long hair to slip over his shoulder.

"It's fine how it is," Rei said awkwardly.

For a long moment they simply stared at each other, making Rei feel uncomfortable, but he thought it would be rude to break the eye contact. Finally, Hu stood and said, "I'll go put in our breakfast order. Anything special you'd like?"

Rei shook his head.

"Alright. Come on inside and wait wherever you please. It shouldn't take too long."

Hu strode into the hut without further comment. Rei followed after him a moment later, keeping his distance, and when he entered the building Hu had already disappeared. Seeing no one else around, Rei cautiously ventured down a random hallway, peering hesitantly into the open rooms and wondering where the kitchen was and where Hu had gone. It was a bizarre feeling being in that place, not knowing where anything was, and yet having the knowledge that it was going to be his next home. He had no idea how he was going to adjust.

Rei returned to the entrance hall and seated himself on the steps that led to the raised platform the head table was on. It was the same room he had been elected in, and looking at it from his current place in life made him feel strange and somewhat nauseous. Everything had changed in the blink of an eye and he still didn't know how he was going to manage it all, despite Hu's reassurances. He wasn't a responsible adult who had thought long and hard about his future; despite being a grown man, he still felt like a child, and he had more or less decided to do with his life what his village needed him to do. In a way, Rei mused, he was really doing just that: The village had decided they needed him to be its leader, hadn't it?

It felt like a long time later when Hu reappeared, looking surprised when he finally found Rei. He had a towel draped around his neck.

"What are you doing there? I said you could go where you wished," he said, looking caught between confusion and amusement.

"I didn't want to go somewhere I'm not supposed to," Rei mumbled.

Hu shook his head and chuckled. He stepped toward him and threw a second towel that Rei hadn't realized he was holding in his direction. Catching it deftly, he could feel that it was dampened.

"Thank you," he said politely and began mopping his skin with it, before resting it against the back of his neck in a mirror of Hu. "That feels better."

"Breakfast will be served in a few minutes. Come. I'll take you to the dining hall."

Hu inclined his head toward the corridor winding off to his right and Rei stood up to follow him. The dining hall turned out to be the room at the end of the rather short corridor. Rei entered after Hu, following his lead and feeling like a lost child the whole time. The older man pulled out a chair for Rei, momentarily surprising him. He thanked him quietly, aware of how his voice echoed in the spacious room. Elegantly carved wooden plates and chopsticks were already laid out on the table.

"You should feel comfortable enough to come and go anywhere in this house at your leisure," Hu said as he sat down at the place across from Rei. "It's yours now, too—more so than it is mine anymore. You'll be moving in soon enough."

Rei felt his stomach clench and suddenly he wasn't hungry anymore. "When will I be doing that, exactly?"

Hu rested his elbows on the table and clasped his hands, pressing them against his mouth. He hummed for a moment, then said slowly, "Considering my abrupt departure postponed it, I suppose the transition should best be done in the coming week."

Rei felt the uneasy thoughts rushing back into his mind and he wished he could stop them; they made him feel sick. Suddenly he realized if he was replacing Hu as Leader, surely he was taking his place in his home as well.

"Will you be moving out?" he asked quietly, trying not to seem impertinent.

"Yes," Hu said after a brief hesitation.

"Where will you live?"

"Well," the man said slowly, "I haven't quite decided yet. I might take a home in the village, or I might go back to where my parents raised me. I might drift between the two, or end up doing neither. I tend to be a rather spontaneous sort of person."

Hu's orange-gold eyes bore into Rei's and it was hard to look away. There was something in them that Rei couldn't decipher, something secret that Hu seemed to almost dare him to try and discover. Hu was a mystery in so many ways and it made him both intimidating and captivating. Rei found himself, against his better judgment, wanting to know more.

Just then a woman wearing a vivid orange dress entered the room, a large covered tray in each of her hands. She kept her head lowered respectfully and set the trays on the table, uncovered both of them, then bowed and left the room quickly. Rei assumed from her demeanor that she was a servant, and he would come to learn that all of the servants adhered to a similar code of dress.

Hu reached for one of the trays and slid it closer to Rei, then took the other for himself and began adding the food to the plate in front of him. Rei hesitantly did the same. The smell of the food brought his hunger back, albeit only slightly. He transferred half of the chicken and hash-browned potatoes that were on the tray to his own plate, not wanting to take more than he could eat.

Hu noticed his small portions. "Not to your liking? I can have it redone for you."

"No," Rei said quickly. That Hu would even suggest such a thing shocked him. He hated the idea of troubling the people who had already put so much work into cooking his meal, and he was repulsed by the idea of being so wasteful. The White Tigers were not a rich clan by any means, and he didn't want to believe that while the villagers were struggling to keep their family's bellies full their own leaders sent meals back and asked for new ones in their place. He realized if that was indeed the case he might have the power to change it when he was officially Leader. Perhaps the position wouldn't be all bad. "The food looks fine. I'm just not that hungry," he added.

"Nerves," Hu stated rather than asked.

Since it wasn't a question Rei didn't feel it necessary to respond. He hesitantly started his meal and was deeply impressed after just the first bite. His mother was a wonderful cook, but the food in front of him was unlike anything he had ever tasted. It had spices he was unfamiliar with, making it taste almost like a foreign meal. It didn't take long for him to clean his plate and then finish off the other half he had left on his tray. When he looked up afterward he realized Hu was watching him with something strange in his eyes. The older man hadn't even finished eating his own meal yet. Rei felt his face heat up in embarrassment.

"It's good, isn't it?" Hu asked, trying to lighten the mood.

Rei just nodded. Hu resumed eating while Rei sat quietly, fidgeting with his hands under the table. There was a brief moment of awkward silence once the Leader had finished, but then he stood and gestured for Rei to do the same.

"We'll begin the more boring studies now," he said with amusement, "which will, unfortunately, take the most time to do. I think you'll come to enjoy the physical training more after a few days of this."

Rei already agreed with him after only a couple of hours in the stuffy work room.

_**.x.**_

It had been a week since Rei began his Leader training, and while his body was gradually adjusting to the physical strain and he had learned a lot about his new responsibilities, there was one thing he couldn't get used to: Hu.

For a while he told himself he was imagining things and stretching something innocent into something corrupt. But then he began to notice the way Hu's eyes looked when he did things, and then the acts got progressively more deliberate. It was easy to accidentally brush against someone's skin, but tucking someone's hair behind their ear couldn't be anything but intentional.

Rei was too scared to say anything about it, worried he would be acting insubordinate, and he already had too many things he could do wrong and mess up to risk anything further. He also never did anything deeply inappropriate so Rei didn't think he had any right to complain. And if he was completely honest with himself, he didn't mind that much. There was a strange rush associated with Hu's rough hands lightly brushing against his skin that set his heart racing. It made him feel almost desirable, something he had never considered himself to be.

Rei, like anyone else who had survived puberty, had thought about relationships and the things they entailed, but he never had much of a desire to act on those thoughts. Besides, there was no one he knew in his village that attracted him enough to consider becoming mates with. A few people of varying ages and both genders had asked him to consider them, but after rejecting all of them the younger ones took it upon themselves to spread rumours that made Rei unappealing to any potential suitors. No one had expressed a romantic interest in him since. It made him feel somehow defective, and he had given up on pursuing anyone. Lai made him feel better by swearing off mates so they could stay single together—although he had his fair share of askers, all of which he turned down. He reassured Rei about his choice by reminding him that brothers were more important than lovers.

But now there was an older, powerful, dangerous, attractive man who seemed at least somewhat interested in Rei, and it made him feel strange and conflicted and pleased all at the same time. He didn't know what to do, especially since he wasn't even sure if he wanted the touches to stop, so in the end he chose to say nothing.

The thing that concerned him the most was _why_. He couldn't fathom why someone such as Hu would see someone like him in that way and be so forward about it. He wasn't overly attractive in his own eyes, and he certainly had nothing to offer someone of age and power. It baffled him, and often made him question the man's motives. Yet sometimes he just couldn't help enjoying it for what it was on the surface.

Rei was sitting in his usual place—the uncomfortable wooden chair behind Hu's desk that he desperately wanted to be replaced—being educated by the soon to be ex-Leader. He was learning how to manage the clan's trades, something he was finding especially difficult to grasp.

Hu had spent many days going over the things Rei was having the most difficulty with, each time trying a different tactic or explanation in an effort to help him comprehend the information, and Rei felt steadily more idiotic as they went over it yet again. He supposed his stress and nerves were making it even more difficult to absorb the knowledge and keep it there, but it also had to do with the fact that the subject itself wasn't something he could learn what to do with from a book. Trading was a case by case basis and trade fodder wasn't endless. He had to use his better judgment and decide what was best for hundreds of people. It was terrifying.

"I can't do this," Rei said, frustratedly burying his face in his hands.

"Yes, you can," Hu insisted kindly. "It's hard to grasp and it's scary trying to figure out what to do, but you _can_ do it. I had a lot of difficulty, too. Just take a break and collect yourself, Rei."

Rei tensed instinctively when he felt Hu's hands on his upper arms. They slid quickly upward and began putting gentle pressure on his shoulders, easing into a massage.

"Relax your body," the older man whispered near his ear.

Despite his apprehension, Rei couldn't help doing as he was told. The way Hu's hands were working his muscles felt like magic and it took a significant amount of effort not to moan in pleasure. His body was so tense and his mind so tired and his self-esteem so low. He couldn't make it stop even if he wanted it to, and he really didn't want it to; not at that moment. Hu's hands manipulated his muscles in circles, then up and down, gently kneading occasionally with his thumbs. Rei worried briefly that he was going to fall asleep.

After a few minutes of Hu's massage to Rei's shoulders his hands began to venture somewhat. Rei tensed slightly as they radiated outward, creating larger circles that now included his upper arms as well as all the way down to the middle of his back. The boldness of his actions made Rei's heart pound and brought back the conflicting thoughts. Hu again told him to relax, his voice low and compelling in his ear, but now Rei was too uncertain to feel the way he had at the start. In response, Hu's hands kneaded with more force.

"Don't be concerned," he said suddenly, as if it had just occurred to him that Rei might be uncomfortable. "I have no ill intentions. I simply want to help you as best as I can, Rei. It was very hard for me to transition from living in the wild to leading an entire village, and it would have made things much easier if I had someone I could talk to on a more personal level. That's what I'm trying to offer to you."

Rei didn't say anything, simply because he didn't know what to say. He supposed what the man told him was reassuring, but it still left him uncertain. Did that mean he was blowing things out of proportion, as he had feared, and Hu merely wanted a friendship rather than a relationship? But Rei's other friends didn't brush his hair out of his face or give him spontaneous massages. The thoughts made him feel as confused as his lessons did.

Suddenly, the door to their work room burst open and Lai rushed in, panting. Hu's hands disappeared from Rei's shoulders and were on the desk in a flash, his finger running over a piece of parchment as if he were referencing something. Rei couldn't help but wonder about the quick change of position if Hu insisted he had no ill intentions.

Lai, trying to catch his breath, glanced quickly at Hu with confusion and Rei wondered what he had seen, but it was gone again in an instant.

"Xia's having the baby," he said after a moment. It looked like he had been running around the entire village delivering the news.

"What?" Rei said in surprise, jumping to his feet.

"Come on," Lai urged him, and Rei hurried around the desk and out of the room without a backward glance. He could tell Hu was following them.

They ran to Xia's hut, where a sizable crowd of people were already milling around, all of them eager to see the new member of their village. Lai grabbed Rei's arm and helped him push their way through the throng and into the house, leaving Hu behind to remain outside with the other villagers.

"She's here!" Mao squealed with delight the second the two men got inside, her hands clasped under her chin. "It's a girl!"

"She had it already?" Lai asked, sounding slightly relieved. Knowing his brother, Rei would bet anything he had volunteered to be the messenger in order to avoid being present during the birth.

Mao nodded enthusiastically and led them to the back of the hut, where Xia's bedroom was. She put her finger to her lips, indicating they needed to be quiet.

The only other time Rei had been around someone shortly after they had given birth was when Xia had Shen. It was a similar scene to then, Xia laying in bed looking very tired and Jun by her side, along with one of the village's midwives and their doctor. The one exception was Shen, sitting at the bottom of the bed and staring uncertainly up at his mother with the baby in her arms.

Xia looked up when they entered the room and gave them a wide smile. She looked terrible, but she also looked happy. "Come meet your newest tribemate," she said, her voice a bit rough.

Rei and Lai moved closer to the bed and Xia pulled down the blanket that partially obscured her new daughter's face.

"She's so tiny," Rei said softly. Lai didn't speak at all and Rei glanced at him, then bit his lip to hold back his laughter. He had a look on his face that was a mixture of repulsion and confusion. "You've seen a newborn before," he said with a slight nudge to Lai's side, unsuccessfully keeping the laugh out of his voice.

"And I felt the same way then," Lai said, half-grinning. "I don't mean to be rude, it's just... She's all wrinkly, and messy. And wrinkly."

Xia laughed. "It's okay, Lai. Not everyone feels the same. I'm not offended."

"I am," Jun said, although he was smiling. He reached across his wife to stroke his daughter's cheek. "I think she's as beautiful as her mother."

"What are you going to name her?" Rei wondered.

"We're not sure yet," Xia said, looking at Jun. "We have some ideas, but none are quite right."

Shen silently crawled further up the bed so that he was near his mother's head and situated himself to better see the baby. Jun reached over and ruffled Shen's hair, which made his face light up in a grin.

Rei felt a warmth inside him at the sight of Xia and her family together. Her and Jun were some of the best people he had ever known and he always wanted the best for them. Looking at them then, with a brand new person cradled in Xia's arms, made Rei determined about his leadership position for the first time since he had been elected. If it meant the safety and happiness of the people around him, Rei could do it. He had to.

_**.x.**_

The two weeks that followed tested Rei in every way. His body ached from bruises and overexertion, and his head often throbbed from the long hours he had to spend studying. Combat with Hu was dangerous, even when he was going easy on him. The man had years of training and firsthand experience on Rei and he wasn't afraid to use his strength. Rei had come a long way in a short time, but he still couldn't win against Hu.

The borderline-flirtatious touches hadn't ceased, either. Nearly every day Rei had his hair brushed aside, an affectionate touch on his neck or back, or Hu speaking softly near his ear, raising goosebumps on his skin. It made him feel ashamed, but Rei had begun to enjoy them.

Outside of dealing with his training regimen, Rei also had to cope with moving from the only home he'd ever known to one he had come to associate with mental and physical exhaustion. All of his friends had shown up to help him move his meager belongings, but part of him wished that they hadn't. There was a strange feeling between him and Lai, the two of them surrounded by their friends who wouldn't feel any difference at all after Rei had moved. It seemed like something private they should be allowed to share on their own, though neither of them would say it aloud.

Rei's first night in his new room was nerve-wracking and restless. He barely slept. It was Hu's old lodging and one of the most lavish bedrooms in the building, naturally befitting the tribe's Leader—but its previous owner's presence lingered, making Rei feel strangely intimate with Hu in a way he wasn't sure he wanted to be. The only reason he got any sleep at all the few nights afterward was due to his physical exercise tiring him to the point where his body didn't care where it slept anymore.

He had no idea where Hu had gone, and he didn't have the courage to ask. The only times he saw him after changing residence was for Rei's training.

One day, as the third week of training was coming to a close, Hu unexpectedly deviated from the schedule Rei had grown accustomed to.

"Let's go for a run today. I want to test how your body is faring with all of our training."

Rei simply stared at him, uncertain. They had already completed most of the day's training and Rei wasn't sure he really wanted to use his body more than necessary. Just because he was getting stronger didn't mean he wasn't tired.

"It'll be fun," Hu encouraged with a smile. "Come on. Wouldn't you like to get out of this stuffy room early today?"

Seeing no way out of it, Rei grudgingly agreed. They left the Elder's hut, Rei somewhat hesitant although he told himself there was no cause for alarm: he was only going to be away from his village and completely alone with the man who had been growing more and more forward in his advances over the last few weeks.

Rei's stomach twisted uneasily as they warmed up, and then he followed Hu into the forest without a word.

Despite the rules against it, Rei had explored much of the innermost lands surrounding the village when he was young, but he had never been as far away as Hu was taking him now. Their path seemed to be aimless at times, curving at random around trees that were completely unfamiliar to Rei. The foliage flashed by in a deep green blur beside him while Hu occasionally leaped over fallen obstacles with the grace of a panther ahead of him, a motion Rei inevitably had to mirror shortly afterward. He couldn't help feeling nervous as they travelled steadily deeper into the forest and further away from their tribe.

They ran for what felt like hours without stopping and Rei began to reach his limit. Still, his pride wouldn't let him look weak in front of someone so strong so he dug deep in order to push himself harder. He managed to keep his pace steady for a short while longer, but his increasingly ragged breathing was something he couldn't hide well enough. Hu glanced over his shoulder and assured Rei their destination wasn't far now. That knowledge spurred Rei on just enough to finally make it.

Hu slowed as they approached a break in the trees, which turned out to be a small clearing filled with so much sunlight it looked like an aboveground pond. Rei was so taken aback by the strangeness and beauty of it that he momentarily forgot everything—his fatigue, his nerves, his uncertainty. He couldn't resist walking into the very centre of the veritable pool of light and twirling on the spot, taking in as much warmth as he could absorb. Looking up with his eyes shielded, he realized the phenomenon was caused by the way the trees broke off in that part of the forest. They all leaned to one side and their canopies couldn't reach far enough to completely block off the light, so when the sun was sloping down toward the horizon late in the day as it was at that moment it inevitably flooded the clearing. It was like a halo above Rei's head, transforming him into a deity's angel. He loved it.

Suddenly, Hu was there. In his daze Rei had forgotten he wasn't alone. He could feel him standing close to his back, the sound of his breathing near his ear. Then he felt the man's hand on his cheek, a featherlight touch that tickled slowly backward and into his hairline. Rei tensed and his breath hitched.

"Your hair is so beautiful," Hu breathed, his voice taking on a more husky tone than usual. The sound of it made Rei shiver and goosebumps raised on the back of his neck, which made the older man chuckle softly. Both of Hu's hands were in his hair now, first playing with the loose hairs at the nape of Rei's neck and then stroking his braid down to the tip, coiling it around his fist. "I've wanted to touch it every time I see it. I just can't resist now, not when it's shining in the sun like this. If you want me to stop then I will."

Rei opened his mouth slightly but then hesitated. He wasn't sure what he was going to say until the words finally slipped out of his mouth, whisper quiet. "No."

He could almost hear the grin in Hu's voice. "You don't want me to stop?"

Rei shook his head slowly, feeling like Hu was teasing him with his question. It made his cheeks feel hot. He looked shyly over his shoulder, eyes downcast so he would only see his hair wrapped around Hu's hands. For some reason the sight made Rei feel good; his hair, shining blue-black in the sunlight, complemented Hu's darkly tanned skin in an appealing way.

Knowing that Rei was watching seemed to encourage Hu. He took the end of the plait, where Rei had tied a strip of black fabric that day, and began removing it slowly enough that Rei could stop him if he wanted to. Rei kept quiet and simply watched, mostly out of curiosity. His Leader seemed to take great pleasure in undoing the tight weaves of his hair, his fingers sliding easily through the sea of black while the sunlight glistened off of it. Once Rei's hair was completely unbound Hu took half a step back simply to admire the young man in front of him. Rei felt increasingly more nervous as Hu let out a sigh of what sounded like amazement.

"It's not just your hair that's beautiful, you know," Hu said after a moment, stepping closer again, but this time moving around to stand in front of Rei. He gently took Rei's chin in his hand and turned his head to look at his face. "Everything about you is... captivating," he breathed, staring unblinkingly into Rei's eyes.

The new, more intimate actions made Rei's heart beat hard for different reasons. He knew he was enjoying the attention and he would be lying to himself if he thought otherwise, but there was so much to worry about. Was Hu telling the truth? What would he want with someone who had nothing to give him in return? Would they even be accepted by their tribemates? Or was that not going to be an issue, because Hu simply wanted to play with him? It wasn't unheard of to have an age gap between mates, nor for one to take a mate of the same sex, but Rei was conflicted. Something seemed wrong; he had nothing to offer the man. Still, it was hard to resist when someone as attractive as Hu, full of power and authority and the promise of safety and maybe even love, offered himself as he seemed to be doing. He could no longer tell if this was dangerous or something he could let himself enjoy.

"You don't believe me," Hu stated. "I can see it in your eyes."

"I—" Rei hurried to say something apologetic in case he had offended him with his silence, but was cut off when Hu wrapped his arms around him and drew him tight against his bare chest.

It was just a hug, but it made Rei's heart flutter. Hu held him gently and protectively. The musky, wild smell of his skin enveloped Rei and his hair tickled the side of his face, surprisingly soft. It didn't take long for his own arms to wrap tentatively around Hu in return. The muscular feel of the older man's body against him made him feel like a little boy.

For a long moment they remained like that, Rei's heart thudding rapidly between them, until Hu spoke again.

"Don't doubt yourself," Hu whispered, his mouth right beside Rei's ear. "If you do, remember that I've... grown very, very fond of you."

Rei froze and his breath got stuck in his chest. He must surely be in a dream because everything about that moment was too strange and foreign, too impossible and complicated. Rei wanted to wake up so he didn't have to respond or even think about what his Leader had just said.

Hu didn't give Rei much time. In an instant so quick he barely realized what was happening, Rei's lips were crushed hard under Hu's. All his mind had time to register was that Hu's lips were rough and chapped, and that's when the forest around them rustled as a dozen or so men jumped out of the trees on all sides.

Hu pulled away and stepped in front of Rei in a protective stance but quickly realized they were surrounded and his efforts were futile. Rei's mind felt numb from the kiss, as if his higher brain functions had been sucked out through his mouth. He stared around at the strangers, not understanding—then he saw the face paint and a wave of nausea hit him.

"What's going on?" Rei asked helplessly, his voice barely audible even though the clearing was as silent as the dead.

The strangers moved at the exact same time Hu did, rushing each other and exchanging blows. Rei knew he should do something—he had been training for weeks for this very thing—but his mind had shut down. It didn't make sense and he was too frightened to remember his training. He heard Hu let out a cry of pain at the exact same time a rough cloth bag came down over his head, shutting out the rest of the world from his eyes. Rei struggled then, but his reflexes had kicked in too late. He was grabbed roughly, tied up, and dragged off, Hu's feral growl the last thing he heard fading off into the distance.

* * *

><p><em><strong>- Toadychan<strong>_ (24,944 words)

After the last chapter I bet you all were screaming throughout this one. XD Rei doesn't know what you guys know! Uh-oh. The next chapter, as expected, will take us back to the Phoenix clan, but I've got to figure out what exactly to write, haha.


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